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Writing Couples

27 January 2003

'A wall, soundproof, must mount between us. Strangers in our study, lovers in bed.'

Sylvia Plath, on her relationship with Ted Hughes

'I think that when we met we both realised that one of the things that may have caused us problems in our past relationships was that we'd never been honest about the fact that writing was the most important thing in our lives. So we began with that central agreement. I think the standard idea of a male-female relationship is that you will find yourself in the other person, and we knew going in that - we'd find ourselves in our work. But the surprise is that now, as our relationship has evolved, I think we can both say that the relationship occupies an equal if not greater place in our lives.'

Alice Sebold, author of The Lovely Bones, on her relationship with her husband, the writer Glen David Gold.

(both quoted from an excellent article on writing couples by Gaby Wood in the London Observer)