“I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. One fig was a husband and a happy home and children, and another fig was a famous poet and another fig was a brilliant professor, and another fig was Ee Gee, the amazing editor, and another fig was Europe and Africa and South America, and another fig was Constantin and Socrates and Attila and a pack of other lovers with queer names and offbeat professions, and another fig was an Olympic lady crew champion, and beyond and above these figs were many more figs I couldn't quite make out. I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn't make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet.”
― The Bell Jar
― The Bell Jar
“That’s what poems are for,
unlivable love."
epigraph to “In Lilac-Light”
― Midnight Lantern: New and Selected Poems
unlivable love."
epigraph to “In Lilac-Light”
― Midnight Lantern: New and Selected Poems
“when death
takes my hand
i will hold you with the other
and promise to find you
in every lifetime”
― The Sun and Her Flowers
takes my hand
i will hold you with the other
and promise to find you
in every lifetime”
― The Sun and Her Flowers
Reading Peace
— 1470 members
— last activity Aug 15, 2023 08:57AM
Reading Peace is a book club exploring topics in mindfulness and Buddhism in daily life in a way that is accessible and relevant to today. We meet o ...more
Paths to Wholeness
— 166 members
— last activity Feb 04, 2026 08:26AM
A gathering place for authors and readers of books and other resources that promote personal transformation, including (but not limited to) spiritual, ...more
Oprah's Book Club (Official)
— 86073 members
— last activity 4 hours, 31 min ago
Welcome to the official Oprah's Book Club group. OBC is the interactive, multi-platform reading club bringing passionate readers together to discuss i ...more
Jane’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Jane’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by Jane
Lists liked by Jane





















































