Olive Higgins Prouty — Sylvia Plath's Patroness
American novelist Olive Higgins Prouty served as both benefactress and mentor to a young Sylvia Plath — she’s depicted in The Bell Jar as the elderly patroness Philomena Guinea. Knowing that Prouty helped procure and pay for Plath’s psychiatric care after her 1953 suicide attempt, Amy explores Prouty’s own history of mental illness as told in her 1961 memoir Pencil Shavings. Also discussed in this episode is Prouty’s best-selling novel, Stella Dallas, later a motion picture starring Barbara Stanwyck. This bonus episode is available to paid subscribers or for individual purchase.
Mentioned in this episode:
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
Stella Dallas by Olive Higgins Prouty
Stella Dallas film starring Barbara Stanwyck
Pencil Shavings by Olive Higgins Prouty
Vale Tales blog post on Olive Higgins Prouty and Sylvia Plath
Betsy, Tacy and Tib by Maud Hart Lovelace