There's a review of a collection of Elizabeth Bishop's letters in today's NYT. In it, we learn that she moved to Brazil with a genderless aristocrat:
For most of two decades, Bishop lived in Brazil, having fallen in love with a Rio aristocrat while recovering from an allergic attack after eating cashew fruit.In fact, the aristocrat was a woman, and they spent 15 years together. You see, Elizabeth Bishop was a lesbian. There's no mention of that fact in the piece at all, which might be forgivable, except when the Times actually "ins" her girlfriend. From Wikipedia we learn the truth:
Bishop had two long-term relationships with women. The first was with Brazilian socialite and architect Lota de Macedo Soares.[19] Soares was descended from a prominent and notable political family; the two lived as a couple for fifteen years.And yes, it matters. We're not even able to marry in most of this country, and the few marriages we do have aren't recognized by the federal government, and thus are not granted any of the 1,100 or so federal rights that accrue to married couples. The fact that one of the most famous American poets was lesbian is a big deal. The Times should have caught this. As should the writer.
