The last major biography of her, Brett Millier’s “Elizabeth Bishop: Life and the Memory of It,” appeared in 1992. This book does not contain strong or especially perceptive readings of Bishop’s poems. One example: Bishop maintained over many decades a love-hate relationship with The New Yorker, to which she regularly contributed poems. Bishop lived with her in Brazil for more than 15 years before Soares died from an overdose of Valium in 1967, possibly because of her deteriorating relationship with Bishop. Tragedy streaked Bishop’s life.

Source: New York Times January 31, 2017 22:56 UTC