An
Accident of Hope
The Therapy
Tapes of
Anne Sexton
Dawn M. Skorczewski
New York London
http://www.routledgementalhealth.com/9780415887472
Routledge
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Library of Congress Cataloging‑in‑Publication Data
Skorczewski, Dawn.
An accident of hope : the therapy tapes of Anne Sexton / Dawn M.
Skorczewski.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-415-88746-5 (hardcover : alk. paper) -- ISBN
978-0-415-88747-2 (pbk. : alk. paper) -- ISBN 978-0-203-83398-8 (e-book :
acid-free paper)
1. Sexton, Anne, 1928-1974--Criticism and interpretation. I. Sexton, Anne,
1928-1974. II. Title.
PS3537.E915Z876 2012
811’.54--dc22
2011034294
Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at
http://www.taylorandfrancis.com
and the Routledge Web site at
http://www.routledgementalhealth.com
http://www.routledgementalhealth.com/9780415887472
Contents
Acknowledgments
vii
IntroductIon
xi
chApter 1
chApter 2
chApter 3
chApter 4
chApter 5
chApter 6
chApter 7
“ Yo u , I, w e c r e At e d
19 6 3
the
p o e t ”:n o v e m b e r
1
d I d A n n e s e x t o n k I l l J o h n F. k e n n e dY ?
l At e n o v e m b e r 19 6 3
27
h o l d I n g h A n d s A n d l e t t I n g g o —th e r o A d
t o “ F l e e o n Yo u r d o n k e Y ”: d e c e m b e r
10 –12, 19 6 3
55
“ th I s te r r I b l e I d e A l o F
d e c e m b e r 14 –19, 19 6 3
83
the
h A p p Y FA m I lY ”:
d A n c I n g F o r Yo u r d o c t o r —n o t e s o n
n A r c I s s I s m : d e c e m b e r 21– 24, 19 6 3
111
th e b l A c k pA n t s A n d t h e n e w b I k I n I —
o e d I pA l s c r I p t s : F e b r uA r Y – m A r c h 19 6 4
137
“ th e d I s c o v e r Y
21– 2 8, 19 6 4
177
oF A
h u m A n b e I n g ”:A p r I l
v
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vi
C o n t en t s
FlAsh ForwArd —An epIlogue: JulY 1964–FebruArY 1965
209
Fo r Fu r t h e r r e A d I n g
223
reFerences
229
Inde x
233
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Introduction
AndifItried
togiveyousomethingelse,
somethingoutsideofmyself,
youwouldnotknow
thattheworstofanyone
canbe,finally,
anaccidentofhope.
—“For John, Who Begs Me Not to Enquire Further”
In the poem cited above, Anne Sexton suggests that the damaged
head—the psyche in need of psychiatric intervention—lies at the
origin of creativity. Published in her first book, To Bedlam and Part
Way Back (1960), “For John …” offers her most direct response to
JohnHolmes,herfirstpoetryteacherandearliestcritic.Holmeshad
advised Sexton not to use her own experience as the subject of her
poems.Sexton’spoeticreplybeginswithaninsistentreferencetothe
source of her inspiration: “I tapped my own head/a cracked bowl,”
anditendswithanaffirmation:“theworstofanyone/canbe,finally/
anaccidentofhope.”Itisnoaccidentthatsheclaims“theworstof
anyone”canoffer“hope.”Afterall,itwasather“worst,”inapsychiatric hospital, with psychiatrist Dr. Martin Orne’s encouragement,
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In t r o d u C tI o n
thatAnneSextonbeganherpoeticcareer.Fewerthan10yearslater,
sheachievedwhathadseemedanimpossible“hope”adecadebefore;
shewonthePulitzerPrize.
Anne Sexton wrote her first published poems in a mental institution. In the summer of 1956, at the age of 28, she experienced a
postpartumdepressionthatleftherunabletocareforherselforher
twoyoungchildren.ShewasadmittedtoWestwoodLodge,aneuropsychiatricmentalhospitalinWestwood,Massachusetts.Thereshe
metDr.MartinOrne,whowasjustfinishinghispsychiatrictraining
whenhewasassignedtoSexton’scase.OrnewasthesonofMartha
Brunner-Orne,Sexton’sfirstpsychiatrist,whomshe’dseenforpostpartumdepressionafterthebirthofherfirstdaughter,Linda,in1953.
OrnewasimmediatelyeffectivewithSexton,whochosetoseehim
twotothreetimesperweekuntilheleftBostonin1964.WithOrne’s
encouragement, Sexton began to draw from personal experience to
craftwhatbecameknownas“confessionalpoems”aboutdepression,
suicide,women’sbodies,familysecrets,loveaffairs,war,God,andthe
complexitiesofhumanrelationships.Herfirstvolume,To Bedlam and
Part Way Back,waspublishedin1960,justthreeyearsaftershemet
Orne.Bytheendoftheeight-yearperiodofhertreatmentwithhim,
shehadreceivedfellowshipsfromAntiochandBreadLoaftoattend
writers’ conferences, been awarded a Bunting Fellowship, a travelingfellowshipfromtheAmericanAcademyofArtsandLetters,and
twoFordFoundationFellowships.Shehadpublishedtwovolumesof
poetry,bothnominatedfortheNationalBookAward,andreceived
the Levinson Award from Poetry magazine. She had also written
much of Live or Die, her third book, which would be awarded the
PulitzerPrize.
MartinOrne,just29,wasanambitiousresidentpsychiatristwho
was also pursuing a Ph.D. in psychology when he met 28-year-old
AnneSexton.BorninVienna,Ornewasthesonofasurgeonanda
psychiatristwholeftAustriawiththeirsonin1938tomovetothe
UnitedStates.Ornereceivedhisbachelor’sdegreeanddoctoratefrom
HarvardUniversityandamedicaldegreefromTuftsUniversity.From
thetimehewasanundergraduate,hepublishedpapersontheroleof
memoryinhypnosis,researchthatquestionedthevalidityofpatients’
memories that emerged when they were in trance. For most of the
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x iii
eightyearshesawAnneSextonfortherapy,heconductedresearch
inmemorystudiesforfourbranchesoftheU.S.military:theArmy,
Marines, Air Force, and Navy. In later years, Orne was to become
knownasanexpertonfalsememorysyndrome.Healsoservedasan
expertwitnessoncasessuchasthatofPattyHearst,whowaskidnappedandaccusedofassistinghercaptorsinabankrobbery;Orne
proclaimedherinnocent.
Whenhewasagraduatestudentandpsychiatricresident,Orne’s
colleaguesconsideredhimabitofamaverickbecauseofhisinterest
inhypnosis.Andyet,inmanyways,Orneembodiedthepsychiatric
sceneinBostoninthelate1950sandearly1960s.AttheMassachusetts
Mental Health Center, where he took his psychiatric residency,
Freudiantheoryandegopsychologywereembracedbyhissupervisors;mostwerealsopracticingpsychoanalysts.MassachusettsMental
wasaplaceinwhichdoctorswerethoughttoseethetruthwhileitstill
remainedobscuretotheirpatients.Inclassicanalyticstyle,questions
from patients were very often met with silence to allow the unconsciousmeaningsofthequestionstoemerge.Itwasalsoaculturaland
psychiatric climate in which women’s identities were thought to be
foundinattachmenttomarriageandchildren,andinwhichwomen’s
rolesassexualobjectsformenremainedlargelyuncontested.
ButMassachusettsMentalwasalsohometoOrne’smentor,Elvin
Semrad,areveredsupervisorandclinicianwhowasatraininganalystattheBostonPsychoanalyticSocietyandInstitute.Semradhad
establishedareputationforhisfolksy,empathicconnectiontopatients
andhisreverenceforthewisdomtobegatheredfromthedetailsof
people’slives.Orneclearlylearnedfromhismentoraboutthevalueof
hispatients’storiesandtheirpain,andheaddedhisownconviction
thatpatientswhohadfoundsomethingproductivetodowiththeir
livesfaredbetterintreatmentthanthosewhodidnot.Itisnonethelessextraordinarythatinthisculturalclimate,inamentalwardina
Boston suburban mental institution, a psychiatrist’s encouragement
couldhelpayoungmotherbecomeaninternationallypublishedpoet
inscarcelytwoyears.Tothisday,Sexton’spoemsarepopularwith
womenandmenofallagesandeducationalbackgrounds,including
butnotlimitedtoreaderswhostrugglewithmentalhealthissues.
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Anne Gray Harvey Sexton was born in 1928, the youngest of
three daughters in a wealthy suburban Boston family in Wellesley,
Massachusetts. Sexton’s father, Ralph, owned a wool business and
hermother, Mary GrayStaples Harvey, educated at Wellesley, was
the only child in a prestigious family that included journalists and
politicians.Hermother’sunclewasaformergovernorofMaine.The
Harveysenjoyedanactivesociallifeandhadtheirdaughterswhen
theywerestillintheir20s.Astheyoungestandmostrambunctious
child,Annewasoftenpronouncedtooclumsyandsloppilydressedto
joininthefamily’ssocialactivities.Whenshedidattendthefamily’s
formaldinners,shewasregularlycriticizedbyherfather,whoonce
leftthetableclaimingthatheracnewasmakinghimphysicallyill.
Sexton’sgreataunt,“Nana”Dingley,livedwiththeHarveysuntil
Annewas13.NanawastoprovideAnne’sonlymemoriesofloving
physicalcontact.Nanaofferedafternooncuddlingsessionsandback
rubs, providing an especially intimate relationship compared to the
formalityandunavailabilityofAnne’sparents.WhileAnnewasasked
to appear in formal dress for dinner, and to “put on the show” for
herparents’friendsduringsocialevents,sherememberednoloving
contactfromthem.Infact,shelaterdescribedembarrassingexaminationsofhergenitalsbyhermother(shehadacystwhenshewas
five),andenemasthatwerepainfulaswellashumiliating.Herfather,
whosepersonalitychangedcompletelywhenhewasdrunk,oncebeat
Annewitharidingcropbecauseshehadstolenhersister’sbirthday
money.HisambivalencetowardAnnebecameloathingandridicule
intheevening,aftercocktails,whenheoftenmadedisgustedremarks
aboutAnne’sappearanceorlewdsexualremarksaboutAnneandher
sisterJane.Later,Sextonwastospeculateaboutwhethershehadbeen
sexuallyabusedbyNanaorherfather,aquestionwhichreturnedin
hertherapysessionsdozensoftimesandwhichisthesubjectofmany
ofherpoems(aswellasherBroadwayplayMercy Street).
Sexton became a social butterfly once she entered adolescence,
enjoying her role as the leader of a group of girlfriends. She began
towritepoetrytoboys,thefirstofwhomwasherhighschoolboyfriend,JackMcCarthy,wholaterreportedthatAnne’sfathertraveled
tohishometobeghimtomarryhisdaughterwhenAnnewasonly
16. During her senior year in high school Sexton published poems
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xv
intheschoolpaper,butwhenhermotheraccusedherofplagiarizing
SaraTeasdale,shestoppedwritingpoetry.Afterhighschool,in1947,
Sexton attended finishing school at the Garland School in Boston.
Shebecameengagedandbeganplanningabigwedding.However,in
1948,SextonmetandfellinlovewithAlfredMullerSextonII,nicknamedKayo.InAugustofthesameyear,afraidthatshewaspregnant,SextonandKayotooktheadviceofAnne’smotherandeloped
toNorthCarolina.Shegotherperiodbeforetheycrossedthestate
line,butthetwowerecrazyabouteachother,andmarriedanyway.
Anne and Kayo went to Colgate (where he was pre-med). She
learned to cook, and attended many parties at his fraternity house,
becoming the house mascot. Kayo left Colgate after a year, claimingthathewaswastinghisparents’money;hesoonobtainedajob
inRalphHarvey’swoolbusiness.Theyoungcouplelivedwithboth
parents alternately until Kayo was shipped overseas with the naval
reserves.Inthefallof1952,SextonjoinedhiminSanFrancisco,where
hisshipwasbeingoverhauled.Shealmostimmediatelybecamepregnant,electingtoreturntoBostontostayatherparents’homeforthe
remainderofherpregnancy.Theirfirstdaughter,LindaGraySexton,
wasbornonJuly21,1953.Shortlythereafter,theSextonsboughta
houseinNewtonLowerFalls,Massachusetts,andSextonwasforced
totakeontheresponsibilitiesofmotherhoodandhousekeepingonher
ownforthefirsttime.Kayo’sworkasatravelingsalesmaninAnne’s
father’sbusinesskepthimawayfromthehouseforaweekatatime.
Theirseconddaughter,JoyceLadd,wasbornAugust4,1955.
Ifdailylifeonherownwithatwo-year-oldwasnoteasy,itbecame
unmanageable when the Sextons’ second daughter, Joy, was born.
In the summer of 1955, as Joy neared the age of one, 28-year-old
Sextonbegantofeeloverwhelmedbytheresponsibilitiesofmotherhood.Aloneinthehousewithtwochildren,shebecameparanoid,
depressed,andsuicidal.Sheheardvoices,fellintoapparenttrances,
and twirled her hair into knots. She could not care adequately for
eitherofherdaughters,norcouldshefunctionasawifetoherhusbandKayo.Frightenedbythethoughtthatshemightkillherselfand
herchildren,shewassubsequentlyadmittedtoWestwoodLodge.At
Westwood, she met the youthful resident psychiatrist, Dr. Martin
Orne.Almostassoonastheybegantoworktogether,Sextonchose
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In t r o d u C tI o n
himashernewtherapist;theyweretomeetatleasttwoorthreetimes
aweekforthenexteightyears.
SextontoldOrnethattheonlythingforwhichshehadatalent
wasprostitution,becausesheknewhowtomakemenfeelsexually
powerful.Ornearguedthatherdiagnostictestsrevealedthatshewas
actually very creative. He suggested that she might want to write
about her experiences so that she could help others who suffered
fromsimilarproblemstofeellessalone(Middlebrook,1991,p.42).
With Orne’s encouragement, and after watching a PBS special in
whichHarvardprofessorandliterarycriticI.A.Richardsexplained
how to write a sonnet, Sexton began to write poems again, poems
that Orne proclaimed as “wonderful.” Over the next six months,
fueledbyhisencouragement,shebroughthimmorethan60completedpoems,and,asshelatertoldaninterviewer,sheknewshehad
“finallyfoundsomethingtodowith[her]life!”(p.43).Inthefallof
1957,SextonenrolledinapoetryworkshopattheBostonCenterfor
AdultEducation,whereshemetthepoetMaxineKumin,herother
most important interlocutor. As Sexton’s closest friend, Kumin sat
ontheotherendofthetelephonewirewritingpoemsinsilenceas
Sexton wrote hers. They whistled when either wanted to try out a
line.KuminwaslatertoarguethatwritingpoetryenabledSextonto
endureherillnessandextendherlifeforaslongasshedid(Sexton,
1999,p.iv).
From the start, it was clear to Orne that Sexton was unable to
remembermuchfromonesessiontothenext.Fromhispointofview,
Sexton’s “memory trouble” proved the biggest obstacle to her progress.Toaddressthisproblem,heeventuallysuggested(attheendof
1960) that they tape her sessions so that she might listen to what
theydiscussedandreflectuponitinbetweensessions.Ornebelieved
that transcribing the sessions would help Sexton “understand what
she was doing” (Middlebrook, 1991, p. 44). Faithfully transcribing
eachtape,Sextonoftenarrivedatasessionpreparedtodiscusswhat
hadtranspiredintheprevioushour.Shecommentedthatsheoften
only “heard” his part of the dialogue when she wrote it down. On
severaloccasions,shetoldOrnethatshewasgratefulforthetapes,
andthatshehopedonedaythattheycouldhelpsomeoneelse.Their
mutualcommitmenttothetapingprocess,whichintensifiedinthe
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In t r o d u C tI o n
x vii
final months of the treatment, produced the data upon which this
bookisbased.
Medicalprofessionalstakeavowofconfidentialitywhenitcomes
to conversations between themselves and their patients. It was a
shock, therefore, when it was revealed that Orne had delivered the
tapes of his therapy sessions with Anne Sexton to her biographer,
DianeWoodMiddlebrook,forhertouseinwritingAnne Sexton: A
Biography (1991).Hundredsofpagesinnewspapers,popularmagazines, and professional journals were devoted to the controversy.*
AlthoughOrnereportedthatSextonhadofferedthetapestohimas
aresourceforpatientswhostruggledwithdepressionandbipolardisorder,andforthoseseekingtohealthemselvesthroughcreativework,
the fact was that she had signed no legal agreement, and therefore
nevergaveOrneexplicitpermissiontoreleasethetapes.
In the flurry of editorials and articles published after the release
of the tapes was announced, many health professionals argued that
Sexton’s psychiatrist violated the essential privacy of the therapeutic relationship by releasing the tapes. Some speculated that other
patientsmightbeharmedbyOrne’snegligence.Othersnotedthatthe
deaddonothavethesamerightsastheliving.Peoplefromtheliterary
communitycontendedthatSextonmadeaprofessionallifeoutofthe
kindofself-exposurethatmanypatientsfear,andthatshewouldhave
beenthrilledtoseethatsheandDr.Ornehadmadeittothefront
pagesofthe New York Times.Sexton’sdaughterLindawrotetothe
New York TimestodefendOrne,andOrnehimselfenteredthefray,
submittingthathesuggestedtapingthesessionssothatSextoncould
transcribeandthereforerememberwhatshesaidfromonetherapeutic
hourtothenext.
Perhaps because of the controversy surrounding the tapes, no
scholarshavethusfarfollowedSexton’sbiographerintothearchives
tolistentotherecordedtherapysessionsandpublishedanaccountof
whattheysay.WhenIchosetodosoandwasgrantedaccessbyLinda
GraySexton,Sexton’sliteraryexecutor,Iwasamazedtodiscoverthat
these remarkable tapes far exceed what Sexton described when she
* AdrianJones(2010)offersathoroughreviewoftheresponsestothereleaseofthe
tapes.
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In t r o d u C tI o n
offeredthemtoOrneasaresourceforothers.Thesessionsdooffer
materialthatcouldbeusefultopatientswhostrugglewithdepression
andbipolardisorder,aswellasforpatientsseekingtohealthemselves
through creative work. They provide a vivid portrait of a woman’s
transformation from a high school-educated, depressed housewife
intoanationallyrecognizedpublicintellectual.Buttheyalsocontain
afirsthandaccountofatleastoneversionofhowpsychotherapeutic
practiceshapedpeople’slivesinthelate1950sandearly1960s.When
consideredinrelationtoSexton’swork,thetapeshavethepotential
to transform our understanding of Anne Sexton as a woman poet
strugglingtoestablishheridentityatatimewhenAmericanculture
leftlittleroomforwomentobecomepowerfulpoetsandscholarsin
theirownright.
TheuniquematerialofthetapesallowsSextontospeakforherself,
10yearsbeforeherdeathbysuicidein1974.Inchoosingtolistento
thetapesandreportonwhatIheard,Iwasawarethatsomereadersmightaccusemeofvoyeurism.Whowouldn’twanttobeinvited
intotheprivatelifeofafamouscontroversialwomanpoetwhowas
knowntohavehadnumerousaffairswithmenandwomen,including
otherfamouspoets?Andyet,myreasonsforlisteninghadlittletodo
withthedetailsofSexton’sprivatelife,althoughIwasindeedcurious
todiscoverwhetherIwouldagreewithMiddlebrookandOrnethat
AnneSextonhadneverbeensexuallyabused.Theresultsofmylisteningforthisissuewereinconclusive,althoughIpresentmyversionof
theissueinChapter2.
My primary motivation was to figure out how Sexton’s life as a
patient in intensive psychotherapy, with a psychiatrist trained in a
hospital known for its psychoanalytic approach to mental anguish,
mighthelpusunderstandherlifeasafamouspoet.HowdidSexton’s
therapyrelatetoherrisetofameasawomanwhowroteaboutthe
most intimate matters? How did the private subjects of her poems
relatetowhatshediscussedintherapy,whereshesooftenspokeabout
thesesubjects?Didtheseconversationsshapenotonlyherpersonal
developmentbuthermodeofself-expressioninherpoeticoeuvre?In
each chapter I consider the ways in which poetry, therapy, and the
culturalclimateinformanddisturboneanother.
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xix
ThreeyearsofaudiotapedtherapysessionsexistintheSchlesinger
Library at Harvard University. This book explores only the last six
monthsoftapes,whenSextonknewthatOrnewouldsoonbeleaving
Boston to accept a research position in Philadelphia. Of the 300
tapesinthecollection,thesearebyfarthemostinteresting.Inher
finalmonths oftherapy,Sextondiscussedthemesthatwereprominentthroughoutthetreatment,whileattemptingtodrawconclusions
about what it all meant, so that she might take some lessons from
theirworkintothefuture.Butshealsobrokedownasshestruggled
toimaginealifewithoutherbelovedDr.Martin.
Inthepagesthatfollow,I invitereadersto“listenin”onlargesegmentsofthefinaltapes,recordedinthemonthsfromNovember1963
to April 1964. Her conversations with Orne about politics, domestic life, sex, violence, mental illness, motherhood, poetry, politics,
andsuicideprovidefascinatingperspectivesonwhatitmeanttobea
woman,poet,wife,mother,andpsychiatricpatientintheearly1960s.
Theearliertapes,whichIdonotstudyhere,offerapictureofavery
sickwomanbecomingwellasshecraftedpoems,studiedtheartof
poetry,andmadeconnectionswithacademicsandwritersthatwould
lastthroughoutherlifetime.Thefinaltapesshowsomethingslightly
different: an already successful poet who is struggling to maintain
confidenceinherselfalthoughshewillsoonlosehermostimportant
interlocutor,herbelovedpsychiatrist.
Theexperienceoflisteningtothetapescannotbefullyrepresented.
Some of them are barely audible, while others are interrupted by
music,newscasts,andthesoundsofchildrenplaying.Itisimmediately
apparentthattechnologyhascomealongwaysince1960.Attimes,
SextonandOrnesitinsilence.Sometimesthetapeofthesessionends
andmusicthathadbeenpreviouslyrecordedonthetapeplays.Orne
apparentlyreusedtapesonwhichhehadrecordedmusicandtelevision programs, and these would emerge at times, providing a kind
ofbackgroundtothesession.Asahistoricalnote,WalterCronkite’s
voiceisaudibleononetape,andanadthatdescribessecretariesas
“floozies”canbeheardonanother.Classicalmusicisalsocommon,
anditisclearthatsometimesSextonherselftapedoverpainfulsessionswithwhatshetoldOrnewas“beautifulmusic.”
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In t r o d u C tI o n
Thetapesrecordedtowardtheendof1963,atwhichpointthisbook
begins,areofabetterqualitythanmanyofthoserecordedbeforethat
time. Perhaps Orne had purchased new equipment. Sexton’s voice
sounds stronger, as does Orne’s, and both are more audible. Orne’s
Vienneseaccentdoesnotseemanyweakerovertheyears,although
Sexton’sBostonBrahmintonesdoseemmoremodulated.Mostofthe
wordsonthetapescanbeheardperfectlywell,completewithSexton’s
exclamatory “Oh, Dr. Orne!” and Orne’s protracted “mmhmmm’s.”
SometapesfeaturethelongsilencesofSexton’strances,thedissociatedstatessheenteredwhenangryorupset,presumablyinanattempt
to manage her feelings. We can hear Orne’s soothing voice as he
attemptedtocoaxherbacktoconsciousness,andtheflareofhisanger
whensherefusedtodoso,eventhoughtheappointmenthadcometo
anendandanotherpatientwaswaitingoutside.
Tolistentothetapesisalsotohearthesoundsofsmoking,sounds
thatarenotascommoninourtimeastheywereinSexton’s.Itwas
notunusualforSextontoaskOrneforalightortoofferhimone.
Sexton’s long inhalations and slow exhalations punctuate many of
hersentences.Orne’spipecatchesfireatonepoint,althoughhesoon
extinguishedit.Onanotheroccasion,sheremarksthathehasdumped
tobacco down his shirt. During a session after he had left Boston,
Orne apparently switched to cigarettes, because Sexton exclaimed
that she was smoking his cigarette! If I could have found a way to
signifythesoundsofsmokinginthesessionsIcite,Iwouldhavedone
so,foritperformsarhythmicbackgroundtotheirhours.
LivinginAnneSexton’sheadforhourseveryday,andinMartin
Orne’ssomewhataswell,IsometimesfeltasifI’djoinedthecastof
theTVseriesMad Men.TherewerediscussionsofasmartbluepantsuitsheworetoseeDr.Tartakoff,andthelipstickOrnehadnever
seen her without. Dozens of strands of pearls were broken on the
floorofOrne’soffice;shetwistedthemwhileshespoke.Cocktailparties and cocktail hours abounded in their suburban neighborhood,
sometimescompletedbydancingintotheweehoursofthemorning.
Manydayswerespentindarknessinherroom,however,asdepressionkeptherawayfromeveryone,enragingherhusbandKayo,who
traveled for work and did housework as well. Her depressions also
keptherfromenjoyingherchildren.ShetoldOrneshewasnever,for
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xxi
example,awakewhentheywenttoschool,becausesleepingpillskept
herunconsciousintothelaterhoursofthemorning.
Sometimesthegossipinthesessionswasfascinating.Sextonand
Orne talked about other doctors a lot, particularly the psychoanalysts that her friends saw and what they said and did. Sexton met
many doctors in her social circle as well, and could report on one
who seemed to want to seduce her, or another who sounded like a
buffoon.Otherwritersandpatientsalsoenteredthesessions,forshe
wasconsultedforreferralsandadvice.WhenpatientsofotherdoctorssoughtSexton’scouncil,shespoketoOrneaboutadvisingthem
withpleasure,althoughsheprotestedthatshehardlyknewwhythey
soughtheroutforhelp.Nonetheless,shewasproudofherabilityto
offerguidancetoothersindistress.“See,I’mjustlikeyou,”Sexton
exclaimedmorethanonce,assuringOrnethatsheknew“alltheright
thingstosay.”
Whenyoungpoetswantedhertoreadtheirwork,Sextonalmost
alwaysagreed,butshedidnotrefrainfromsharingheropinionsof
themwithOrne.Shealwayssoundedlikeanexpertwhoknewexactly
how much talent each poet had, and she frequently remarked that
peoplewantedtobecomefamouspoetswithoutdevotingthemselves
tothetaskasassiduouslyassheherselfdid.Sheoftencommentedthat
shewasworkingonapoem,althoughsheonlysometimesdiscussed
herpoetry.Aswillbecomeclear,IbelievethisisbecauseOrnediscouragedherfromdoingso.Whenshedid,however,sheseemedto
feelsomuchbetterthatitmademequestionOrne’sdecisionabout
thisimportantissue.
Aftereachsessionwasrecorded,Sextoneithertookthetapehome
andplayedit,transcribingitinhernotebook,orlistenedinanoffice
across from Orne’s. She wrote detailed transcripts of the sessions,
and often studied old notebooks to see what she could learn from
them.Manysessionsbeganwithherquotingfromthetranscriptof
theprevioussession,oftenexclaiming,“Youwereright!Iwassostubborn, but you were right!” Orne used the tapes with other patients
aswell,althoughhealwaysinsistedthathedidsoonlywhenitwas
indicatedasimportantforthetreatment.Orneclaimedthatheused
thetapesinfrequently,butSextononceremarkedthatshesawmany
patients transcribing intheofficenearthewaiting roombeforeher
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own session, and once Orne accidentally gave her another patient’s
tape to listen to instead of her own. Sexton admitted that she did
indeedlistentotheotherwoman’stape,becauseshewould“doanythingtoknow[Orne]!”SextonlikeditthatOrne’spracticewasquite
unconventional,andsheappreciatedthisfact,aswellashistendency
to allow her to exceed the 50-minute hour (particularly during the
earlyyearsoftreatment,whenSexton’stendencytodecompensateat
theendofanhourwasfrequent).
Most critics who discuss Sexton’s mental illness note that in her
timetherewasnotanexistingdiagnosisforbipolarillnesswithborderline features in the terms we understand it today. It is difficult
toimaginehowshe,herfamily,andOrnehimselftoleratedSexton’s
darkdepressions,herself-absorptioninthefaceoftheemotionaland
physicalneedsofherdaughters,andheralmostconstantdemandfor
alltheattentioninaroom.Sextonspeaksonthetapesaboutslapping
andhittingherdaughter,andinvitingbothofherdaughterstoexplore
herbodyaswellastogiveherdailybackrubs.WhenLindawas14,
longafterSexton’streatmentwithOrnehadcometoanend,Anne
mademorningvisitstoherdaughter’sroomtomasturbateagainsther
daughter’sbody.AlthoughshethoughtthatLindawasasleep,Linda
wasprofoundlyaffectedbythisbetrayal,andlaterwroteaboutitin
her two memoirs. In small and sometimes significant ways, Anne
Sextonproclaimedherselfanexception,demandingtobetreatedasif
shewereachild.Atthesametime,however,shepouredoutlovefor
herfamily,performingherownroleasmotherinaperplexingparadoxthatLindaGraySextonexploresinSearching for Mercy Street: My
Journey Back to My Mother, Anne Sextonand Half in Love: Surviving
the Legacy of Suicide.
Throughoutthethreeyearsofrecordedtapes,IlistenedtoAnne
Sexton attempting to come to terms with her illness and speculate
aboutleavingitbehindforever.SheasksOrnetohelpherbehonest
aboutherfeelings,althoughsheadmitsthatitfeelsalmostimpossible
todosoattimes.Inhertherapyasinherpoetry,Sextonneverleft
thesubjectoftruthtellingfarbehind.Beginningwiththeepigraph
toherfirstvolume,To Bedlam and Part Way Back, sheidentifiedwritingpoetryasastruggletowardandawayfromself-disclosure.Taken
fromaletterfromGoethetoSchopenhauer,thepassageasserts,“It
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isthecouragetomakeacleanbreastofitinthefaceofeveryquestionthatmakesthephilosopher….Butmostofuscarryinourheart
theJocastawhobegsOedipusforGod’ssakenottoinquirefurther”
(Sexton,1981,p.2).Throughouthercareer,Sextonwouldremainpreoccupiedwiththeconflictbetweenmakingacleanbreastofitandnot
inquiringfurther,ofexploringherearlyexperiencesandcurrentconflictsandrememberingwhatshehaddiscovered.Shewouldrepeatedly enter and explore the murky waters of the incestuous material
thatJocastabegsremainundisturbed.
Nowhere are these issues of disclosure and concealment more
apparentthaninhertherapeuticconversationswithDr.Orne,conversationsthatwererecordedpreciselybecauseofhertendencytoforgetmostofwhatshesaidinhersessions.WhenSextontranscribed
eachsessionbeforethenexttookplace,sheshowedherdetermination
tounderstandexactlywhatshewasrevealingtohertherapistasshe
“madeacleanbreastofit.”Asshewroteinalettertoanaspiringpoet
in1960,Sextonbelievedthat
writers…musttrynottoavoidknowingwhatishappening.Everyone
hassomewheretheabilitytomasktheeventsofpainandsorrow,callit
shock….Butthecreativepersonmustnotusethismechanismanymore
thantheyhavetoinordertokeepbreathing….Hurtmustbeexamined
likeaplague.(Sexton&Ames,1977,p.145)
GivenOrne’sandSexton’sinterestsinthetheoreticalbasesofclinicalwork,itshouldnotbesurprisingtoreadersthateachchapterof
thisbookconsiderstheirtherapysessionsintermsofaclinicalconceptthathasbeencontestedandredefinedinthehalfcenturyafter
Sexton’streatmentwithOrne.SextonandOrneworkedtogetherat
a time when Michael Balint, Melanie Klein, Heinz Kohut, and D.
W. Winnicott were not accepted by analysts in the United States,
althoughmostwereinEurope(withtheexceptionofKohut).Orne
might or might not have known of these theorists, but his practice
certainlyincludedtraditionalFreudiantermssuchastransferenceand
narcissism.Sextonherselfalsoreadclassicalpsychoanalyticliterature,
especiallyFreudandErikson.Oftenshementionedanideafromone
ofherreadingstoOrne,remindinghimofaconceptsuchasresistance,forexample,toexplainbehaviorthathefoundcurious.
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AsIlistenedintothefinalmonthsofSexton’stherapy,IalsoconsideredthepoemsthatSextonwrotecontemporaneously,whichspeak
aptlytoourowneraevenastheygesturebackwardtotellussomethingabouttheyearsinwhichtheywerecomposed.Oftenthepoems
tellussomethingaboutSexton’srelationshiptoOrnethatwemight
notunderstandfrommerelylisteningtothetapes.Occasionally,they
offer a way of understanding Sexton and the period of American
historyinwhichshelivedandIwrote.Mostfrequently,thepoems
complementthesessions,andthesessionsthepoems,offeringreciprocalinterpretationsofSexton’slifeandworkthatcouldnotbemade
withoutthetwotogether.
ThefirstfivechaptersofAn Accident of Hope focusintentlyonthe
two-monthperiodfromNovembertoDecember1963,aperiodfrom
which18tapesexistinthearchive.Thesetapesofferaday-to-dayand
week-to-weekimpressionofSexton’stherapy,aswellasanopportunitytoconsideritsrelationshiptothepoetryshewroteduringthose
twomonths.ThefinalchaptersmovequicklyfromFebruarytoApril
1964, as only eight recordings exist from this period. But the few
tapes that we do have from February to April provide a picture of
Sexton’sstruggletokeepherselftogetherasOrnepreparedtoleave
Boston,astrugglethatledhertoself-destructivepatternsofdrinking
butalsotowritesomeofhermostfamouspoems.
The subjects of poetry and therapy were intertwined for Sexton
from the start. Chapter 1 considers Sexton’s insistence that she and
Ornecocreatedherpoeticidentity,aclaimOrnesharplydenied.Their
different views on this question invite us to consider contemporary
versusclassicaltheoriesoftheanalyst’sparticipationinthetreatment.
Sexton’ssearchfortherootsofhermentalproblemsoftenledherto
examinepainfulandeventraumaticchildhoodmemories.Chapter2
considerstraumatheoryfrom1960tothepresenttounderstandwhy
bothSextonandherhusbandseemedspurredtomaritalviolencein
theaftermathoftheKennedyassassination.Chapter3exploresapoem
that arose from a therapeutic impasse. In a two-part conversation
focusedondisruptionandrepair,Sextonframedanewunderstanding
ofherrelationshiptoOrneandtoherownillness,areframingmost
evidentwhenconsideredinrelationtothepoem.Chapter4returns
tothetopicofdomesticviolenceinSexton’slife,asitusesFerenczi’s
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concept of a “confusion of tongues” to speculate about Orne’s effect
on his patient’s developing sense of a woman’s identity outside the
domesticframeofwifeandmotherinmid-December1963.Chapter
5,thefinaltapeof1963,considersOrne’spatternofaccusingSexton
ofneedingtofeelspecial,asifthistendencywereitselfadisease,an
accusation that she questioned in a poem and within a session. My
discussionofthisissuesuggeststhatOrneandSextonboth,asSexton
putit,“wantedtobegreat.”Byhissuppressionofhisownnarcissism
andhispejorativeanalysisofSexton’s,Ornepathologizedwhatmight
beidentifiedasthecreativedriveforrecognitionthatwassharedby
doctorandpatient.
OnceSextonknewOrnewasmostcertainlyleavingBoston,fewer
recorded tapes made it into the archive. Perhaps Sexton destroyed
theseortheywerelost,buttheabsencedoesseemtoreflectherpersonallossofcoherenceanddeterminationinthefaceofOrne’sdeparture. In Chapter 6, Oedipal themes, prominent in Sexton’s therapy
andpoetry,cometotheforeasshedescribedherdesiretotrackdown
aWellesleyphysicianshehadoncedated,andhertriptothesame
towntobuysexyblacklingerietoshowtoherhusband.Sexton’sabilitytomovefromdesiringanillicitaffairtoengaginginwhatOrne
called“healthyconventionalsex”withKayosignifiesadevelopmentalaccomplishment.SheseemstohavelearnedtouseOrneandher
husbandtomeetherneedstofeelloved.AssheandOrnediscussher
objectsofdesire,theyvisitOedipaltheoryevenastheyforeshadow
awaveofliteratureontheOedipuscomplexthatwasstilltocome.
Chapter7showsanofteninebriatedSextonattemptingtoassimilate
Orne’sforthcomingmovetoPhiladelphiaasOrnehimselfappearsto
bestuckinadenialofthesignificanceoreventherealityofhisdeparture.Thechapterandthesessionsitreviewsrevisitalmostallofthe
centralconceptsthatorganizedtheentiretreatmentandreconsiders
Sexton’sroleinherownhealingprocess.
In the epilogue, I briefly quote from four tapes that Linda Gray
Sexton removed from restricted access in the Sexton archive at the
Harry Ransom Center in Austin, Texas, just as I was completing
themanuscriptofthebook.IaskedLindatoremovetherestriction
whenIlearnedoftheirexistencefromscholarAdrianJones,whohas
studiedthetapesaspartofhisunpublisheddissertation,“Resistance,
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Rejection,Reparation:AnneSextonandthePoetryofTherapy.”The
tapes show Sexton and Orne attempting to negotiate what was to
becomean“untenable”relationshipbetweenSextonandDr.Frederick
Duhl,thenewtherapistSextonsawasOrne’ssuccessorforfiveyears.
DuhlviolatedtheboundariesofthetherapeuticrelationshipbyengaginginasexualaffairwithSextonthatrepresentedaneventualdisaster
forher.Lookingintothefuturetogether,SextonandOrneexplorea
seriousboundaryproblemoftherapistshavingsexualrelationswith
theirpatientsthatwaseventuallytobecomemorewidelyrecognized
and taken more seriously in psychoanalytic treatments in the years
tocome,includingSexton’sown.IciteafewofthelettersthatDuhl
wroteSextonduringthesameperiodtogivethereaderaglimpseof
what was to be Sexton’s experience of therapy with this man once
OrnehadleftBoston.
Throughoutthisbook,Iquestionthewaysinwhichtheexpertise
of a psychiatrist can limit or expand his patient’s understanding of
herself,herpotential,andherworld.Iconsiderwhattheconsequences
ofparticulartheoreticaltechniquesanddecisionsmighthavebeenin
thelifeofAnneSexton,andhowthoseconsequencescouldbeseen
inSexton’slifeandwork.Ialsoconsiderthewaysinwhichacreative
patientcaninfluenceherdoctororevenanentireprofession.Inplacingthediscoursesoftherapyandpoetrybesideeachother,Iaskmy
readers to think with me about these two ways of assimilating life
experienceascreativearts,thoughSextoninsistedthatpsychiatrywas
oneofthelesserofthose.*
* OrnereportedthatSextonconsidered“psychotherapy[as]reallyoneofthe‘minor
arts’”(Hughes,1991,p.21).
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