Anne Sexton

Anne Sexton

Anne Sexton was an American poet and writer, born on November 9, 1928, in Newton, Massachusetts. After graduating from Garland Junior College, she married Alfred Muller Sexton II in 1947.

Sexton's life was deeply intertwined with mental health struggles. Diagnosed with depression in 1953, she was treated at Westwood Lodge, and after the birth of her daughter in 1955 she was admitted to the same hospital again. Her doctor's encouragement to write poetry during this difficult period marked the beginning of her artistic journey.

In 1957 she attended Robert Lowell's poetry seminars at Boston University, where she had the opportunity to work alongside Sylvia Plath. Throughout her life she worked various jobs, including modeling and library work, and also taught at high schools and universities.

Sexton, who struggled with anorexia and depression, made many unsuccessful suicide attempts. On October 4, 1974, in Weston, at the age of 45, she took her own life.