Buzz
The Pulitzer Prize in Poetry, awarded posthumously to Sylvia Plath in 1982 for her work The Collected Poems, is set to be auctioned on June 28. Nate D. Sanders Auctions, based in Los Angeles, has announced that the bidding for this historic literary artifact will commence at $40,000.
Plath’s complete poetry collection was published in 1981, nearly two decades after her passing, and was curated by her husband, the renowned poet Ted Hughes. The Pulitzer Prize was accepted by Hughes on Plath’s behalf. Among the items included in the auction are two telegrams from Pulitzer President Michael Sovern to Hughes, one of which states, “We’ve just heard that the Collected Plath has won the Pulitzer Prize. Congratulations to you for making it possible.” Additionally, an official congratulatory letter from Sovern will be part of the lot.
The 1982 Pulitzer jury report hailed The Collected Poems as an “exceptional literary achievement.” It further noted, “Plath received no major awards during her lifetime, with the majority of her works published after her death … The seamless blend of vivid metaphors and masterful formal composition makes this collection truly remarkable.”
Ted Hughes wrote an introduction for the poetry collection, explaining that Plath “never discarded any of her poetic attempts,” regardless of their quality. He stated:
“Her approach to poetry was that of a craftsman: if she couldn’t create a table from her material, she was content to make a chair or even a toy. For her, the final result wasn’t necessarily a flawless poem but something that had fully utilized her creativity. Thus, this collection includes not only the poems she chose to keep but—after 1956—every piece she ever wrote.”
Additionally, Plath’s 1958 Massachusetts driver’s license, issued under the name Sylvia P. Hughes, is also being auctioned. The bidding for this item will start at $8000.
Nate D. Sanders Auctions
