About The Book
The First Dedicated Biography
In January 2020, the Princeton University Library finally opened the largest and most eagerly awaited cache of new materials written by the Nobel-Prize-winning poet: the 1,131 letters he sent Emily Hale, his little-known American love. But even as Eliot scholars explore Hale's impact on Eliot's work, a tantalizing queswtion has not been fully answered: who was Emily Hale?
Hale's Side of Their Story
Based on the embargoed letters and Fitzgerald's years of reserach into Hale's life, "The Silenced Muse" brings to light that Hale was much more than a muse to a literary celebrity. She overcame personal hardship to pursue a career as a professor of speech and drama at prominent American women's colleges and schools. She was a talented amateur actress and director, sharing the stage with others who went on to notable professional careers. Behind the scenes, she also guided Eliot as he began to explore playwriting.
Between the Lines
Hale's story is challenging to tell because the Boston clergyman's daughter was by nature reticent and humble. More critically, Eliot arranged for almost all of her letters to be destroyed. "The Silenced Muse" finally reveals that Hale's story is not that of a lover scorned, but rather a woman who was herself gifted and celebrated by her students and peers.