Burning Candles: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay
Synopsis
She was her generation’s Madonna and Bob Dylan rolled into one—and yet, by the 1970s, major poetry anthologies no longer mentioned Edna St. Vincent Millay. She had become a lost poet, her literary status mirroring her untimely death. This program documents the brief yet bright “candle” of Millay’s artistic development, from her early years in Maine to her achievements in the literary world of New York, while exploring her celebrity, sexuality, and personal relationships. Among the many eye-opening locations featured in the film is the house in which Millay spent her final years; its contents have remained untouched since the poet’s death and provide a catalyst for the study of her troubled, exuberant life. Never-before-seen archival images and interviews with Millay scholars also enrich the narrative.
Where to watch
Not currently available to stream in United States.
Top cast
Edna St. Vincent Millay
Herself (Archival Footage)
Robert A. Duncan
Narrator
Jennifer Lines
Reader
J.D. McClatchy
Editor, Yale Review
Elizabeth Barnett
Literary Executor
Nancy Milford
Biographer: "Savage Beauty"
Daniel Mark Epstein
Biographer: "What Lips My Lips Have Kissed"
Stephen Young
Poetry Magazine
Christian Wiman
Poetry Magazine
Holly Peppe
Millay Scholar