Novel account captures passion of Bishop’s life

When Elizabeth Bishop '34 was a freshman at Vassar, she interviewed T.S. Eliot for an article in The Miscellany News. "To me," said Eliot to Bishop on his epic poem "The Wasteland," "it was just a piece of rhythmic grunting."

80 years later, Bishop surely could not have imagined that she would be the subject of a Miscellany interview herself. The young journalist ended up becoming of the most acclaimed and widely read poets of the 20th Century as well as one of Vassar's most celebrated alums, and has been in the spotlight not only for her contributions to modern American poetry but also for her tumultuous and fiercely guarded private life. In his new book The More I Owe You, author Michael Sledge explores the torrid relationship that Bishop shared with Brazilian architect Lota de Macedo Soares. He will read from his fictionalized account of their story on Sept. 14 at 5 p.m. in the Class of 1951 Reading Room in Main Library.

Sledge grew up reading Bishop's works in school and found her history to be incredibly compelling. Bishop's childhood was fragmented at an early age by the death of her father and the institutionalization of her mother. Her early life was further marred by the alienation she felt at the hands of her father's upper-class family, who took custody of her when she was six. But the fragile poet found strength in de Macedo Soares, who made her feel protected and wanted. Bishop met the renowned aesthete when she was on a two-week trip to Brazil in 1951. She had fallen ill and was nursed back to health by de Macedo Soares, marking the beginning of a love story that spanned two continents and 15 years.

Behind the glamour and sparkle of Bishop and de Macedo Soares' life in Brazil, there were undercurrents of sorrow. Brazil's political atmosphere at the time was intense: Just having overthrown a long-standing dictatorship, Brazil was consumed by power struggles. De Macedo Soares' social connections led her to be an active part of a number of development projects as both an architect and a notable aristocrat. Her most well-known project was the construction of the Flamengo Park in Rio de Janeiro.

Bishop also produced work of her own during her time in Brazil, the most well known being Diary of Helena Morley, a story of a girl set in the mountains of Brazil. Sledge believes that Bishop and de Macedo Soares were artistic complements for one another. "They took care of each other and created a place together, where each of their work could flourish and they could push boundaries beyond what they had in the past," he said.

Despite its fairytale quality, their story ended in tragedy. Bishop often felt neglected and lonely, often relapsed into characteristic bouts of depression and took to alcohol to cope with her misery. Her alcoholism irritated de Macedo Soares, causing the first cracks in their relationship. Bishop went on to have an affair with another woman, and eventually decided that it would be better for her to move back to the States. But de Macedo Soares came after Bishop, despite being desperately ill at the time. She died soon thereafter in New York from a drug overdose.

But in his book, Sledge emphasizes the love that the two extraordinary women shared: "Though it involved a tragedy, I believe it was a triumphant love story."

Sledge says his choosing to write about Bishop was not a calculated decision. "Why we choose to write about someone is like falling in love. It's not rational. I found Bishop to be an incredibly compelling and deep character for fictional exploration."

As for why he chose to focus on her time in Brazil, Sledge said: "I was profoundly moved by the love she found in Brazil and wanted to investigate further."

"Love," he continued, "cannot save. As people, we are more romantically inclined to think about all the wonderful things love can do, but I was intrigued by what love cannot accomplish." Sledge believes this is the most important point of the book. Two people love each other deeply and to the best of their ability, but that does not guarantee a happy ending.