May Sarton: A Literary Life of Love and Strength
- Max
- Jul 14
- 2 min read
Writers, more often than not, wear many hats—and May Sarton wore hers with brilliance. One of America’s most prolific writers, Sarton dedicated her life to poetry, journalism, and fiction, her works a mouthpiece for women and the LGBTQ+ community during her time.
Photo by Thought Catalog on Pexels
From Belgium to Broadway
Born in Belgium on May 3, 1912, Sarton moved with her parents to the United States at age 4. She grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, before moving to New York after high school to chase a dream in acting. Sarton started writing poetry in her teen years, but never entered college.
At New York, she joined the Civic Repertory Theatre and later founded her own company, Associated Actors Theatre. Sarton continued to write even after her theater closed down.
Early Works and Literary Friendships
Sarton’s earliest works were sonnets published in Poetry Magazine in 1929. In 1937, she published her first volume of poetry Encounters in April, followed by her first novel The Single Hound in 1938. Her first novel was a tender, introspective look at love and individuality. However, she still couldn’t write full time. To support herself, she wrote reviews and taught creative writing classes. She traveled frequently to Europe, where she mingled with literary greats such as Virginia Woolf, Elizabeth Bowden, and W. H. Auden.
In 1946, her second novel The Bridge of Years was published, which was largely inspired by her personal background. The story focused on the impact of two world wars on a Belgian family. Her novels after this featured women in the lead. She also wrote poetry within the same vein of featuring women’s struggles. Her works were seen as pioneers of feminist literature.
In 1959, she forayed into nonfiction with her first autobiography I Knew a Phoenix.
An Unapologetic Voice in a Cautious Time
In 1965, Sarton shook the literary world with Mrs. Stevens Hears the Mermaids Singing, where she came out as a lesbian. Her controversial move made her lose two jobs. However, her admission not only made her popularity grow, she even continued to earn both critical and commercial acclaim, cementing her role as a figure of feminism and the LGBTQ community.
Sarton spent her later years in York, Maine, beside the sea she loved. After suffering a stroke in 1986, she continued journaling, writing and publishing even more books.
Her most beloved later works include the deeply personal Journal of a Solitude (1973) and Endgame: A Journal of the Seventy-Ninth Year (1992), in which she reflected candidly on aging and resilience. Her final poetry collection, Coming into Eighty, was released in 1993—just two years before her death.
Legacy Without Laurels
Despite a prolific career and a diverse body of work, Sarton never received any major awards. She became a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the recipient of 18 honorary degrees from various institutions. Her amazing career spanned almost six decades.
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