06.23.2004:Edna St. Vincent Millay-Brains, Brawn and Women

When Edna St. Vincent Millay was first discovered as a poet in 1912, the literary world was convinced she was a man.  As one critic wrote: "No sweet young thing of twenty ever ended a poem precisely where this one ends; it takes a brawny male of forty-five to do that."

In correcting this misconception,"Vincent" (as she liked to be called) wrote to correct the record:

"Gentlemen, I must convince you of your error: my reputation is at stake.  I simply will not be a 'brawny male'.  Not that I have an aversion to brawny males; au contraire, au contraire. But I cling to my femininity! Is it that you consider brain and brawn so inseparable?--I have though otherwise."

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