Word: poet
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...poems makes front-page headlines on both sides of the Atlantic, chances are that the reason for such a hubbub lies somewhere outside the realm of aesthetic appreciation. That is certainly the case with Ted Hughes' Birthday Letters (Farrar, Straus & Giroux; 198 pages; $20). Although Hughes, 67, Britain's poet laureate since 1984, commands a wide and respectful audience among readers of serious contemporary poetry, the appearances of his books have not, until now, been stop-the-presses affairs. What makes Birthday Letters different is its subject matter: Hughes' poetic meditations on his marriage with Sylvia Plath...
...head into a gas oven and committed suicide. Hughes, her husband of a little more than six years, had left her and their two small children for another woman three months earlier. This domestic tragedy might have remained largely private had not Plath, already an established poet, left behind a powerful and searing sequence of poems, published posthumously as Ariel, that ensured her lasting fame. The nascent feminist movement in the '60s enlisted her as a martyr and vilified Hughes as her oppressor and, intentionally or not, murderer...
...this confession I do not imply that I live life on the edge or participate in "extreme" sports. Nor did I watch "Dead Poet's Society" and decide, carpe diem, that I would drop out of school to pursue an unlikely acting career. No, when I describe myself as a gambler, I mean it in the most base sense of the term. I wager money on the outcomes of random phenomena...
...compelling as "Titanic" was, "Good Will Hunting" gets my vote for Best Picture. It's well-written, well-acted, and just plain well done. Robin Williams, reprising his mentor role from "Dead Poet's Society," is brilliant, as usual, and gained a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his efforts. Matt Damon (Best Actor nominee) plays with wit and skill the tough kid from South Boston who's really a genius. But the real reason I loved "Good Will Hunting" is that even before I entered the theater, I felt like I had some stake...
...been overshadowed by the show's creative travails. Simon had near total control of the project from the start, and he assembled a team of collaborators who were mostly Broadway outsiders. As co-writer of the book and lyrics he enlisted Derek Walcott, the Nobel-prizewinning West Indian poet and playwright. Morris, a leading light of modern dance, was persuaded to make his Broadway debut as choreographer. The lead roles were cast mostly with singers who had little stage-acting experience--including Panamanian musician Ruben Blades and hot young salsa star Marc Anthony (playing the old and young Agron, respectively...