Sylvia Plath (1932–1963) is one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. Her circle included National Book Award winner Robert Lowell, Jr. (Life Studies and For The Union Dead) and Pulitzer Prize winner Anne Sexton (The Complete Poems: Anne Sexton), both of whom encouraged Plath to use her own experiences – including her treatment for depression – in her poems. This was a rather radical idea at the time, especially for a young woman. Plath's mother sued her to prevent publication of her semi–autobiographical novel, The Bell Jar, originally considered so scandalous that it was first released under a pseudonym but is now a celebrated modern classic. Plath's poetry collection Ariel was published after her suicide in 1963; her single volume The Collected Poems won the Pulitzer Prize posthumously in 1982.
