Author Statement: “I've always been drawn to Plath because of her uncanny ability to artfully distill raw emotion with utter avoidance of cliche. I never feel like "Oh, I've seen that metaphor before" when I read her work. Its freshness inspires new directions in my own work--as in this case where, if presented with the idea of the same self being carried around with us, I might have written one of my many poems on Horace's adage: "Caelum non animum mutant qui trans mare currunt." (They change their sky, not their soul, who rush across the sea.). Instead, she literalizes it, our carrying of ourselves in a suitcase, which made me think of our taking care of our friend's ashes (which ultimately found a lovely "forever" home in a grove at the coast), taking me in a fresh direction. I've read Plath's short stories and letters, too, but regarding the latter, usually I find much is lost rather than gained by knowing a poet's backstory. I get bogged down by their ordinary human failings when really the work should speak for itself and be "about" itself.”