This morning, I started my one single "challenge" that I'm going to participate in this year. Some of you may or may not know that my favorite author is May Sarton. She was a prolific writer in her lifetime, publishing upwards of over 50 books of poetry, novels, memoirs and journals. She is probably most well known for Journal of a Solitude, in which she discusses the highs and lows and necessity of solitude and having a space of your own and coming to terms with all that comes with that. I was introduced to her writing in high school, and it spoke to me on many levels, then and now. In the subsequent years, I have acquired her entire printed oeuvre, mostly first editions and signed, including some of her rare chapbooks and festschrift.
She passed away in 1995 and 2012 would have been her 100th birthday, so I have taken this year as my Sarton Centennial Reading Celebration. I want to read through my entire Sarton library this year. I think I'm going to skip over her books of collected poetry, as these poems are already located in other books of poetry and one anthology, which reprints earlier works. I'm thinking about reading everything chronologically to her writing, but I may end up jumping around a little.
I have counted a total of 56 books that should round out my reading for the year. If times permits, I may add in some of the books of literary criticism that have been published on her works over the years, but I think I mostly want to stay focused on her writing.
Happy reading!
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