The Power of Adrienne Rich: A Biography

Description

A major American writer, thinker, and activist, Adrienne Rich (1929–2012) transformed herself from a traditional, Radcliffe-educated lyric poet and married mother of three sons into a path-breaking lesbian-feminist author of forceful, uncompromising prose as well as poetry. In doing so, she emerged as an architect and exemplar of the feminist movement, breaking ranks to denounce the male-dominated literary establishment and paving the way for women writers to take their places in the cultural mainstream. Drawing on a wealth of unpublished materials, including Rich’s correspondence and in-depth interviews with many people who knew her, Hilary Holladay provides a vividly detailed, full-dimensional portrait of a woman whose work and life continue to challenge and inspire new generations. Cover Frontmatter Contents Preface Chapter 1 Baby Genius Chapter 2 THE PATRIARCH AND THE WOMAN IN THE BLACK DRESS Chapter 3 KINGDOM OF THE MIND 1933–1947 Chapter 4 THE GIRL WHO WROTE POEMS 1947–1950 Chapter 5 THE MAKING OF ADRIENNE RICH 1950–1951 Chapter 6 Toute la Gloire 1951–1952 Chapter 7 CLEOPATRA OF OXFORD 1952–1953 Chapter 8 THE UNBORN SELF 1953–1957 Chapter 9 BURSTING WITH BENZEDRINE AND EMANCIPATION 1958–1963 Chapter 10 PESSIMISTIC OPTIMIST 1963–1966 Chapter 11 LIKE THIS TOGETHER 1966–1968 Chapter 12 WHAT THE AUTUMN KNEW WOULD HAPPEN 1968–1970 Chapter 13 BRILLIANT, MAD, HUMAN, AND IRREPLACEABLE 1970 Chapter 14 A WOMAN OF THE 1970S 1970–1972 Chapter 15 THE BOOK OF MYTHS 1972–1973 Chapter 16 IN THE NAME OF ALL WOMEN 1974–1975 Chapter 17 I KNOW MY POWER 1975–1977 Chapter 18 HYACINTHS RISING LIKE FLAMES 1977–1978 Chapter 19 MY TRUE UNIVERSITY 1979–1981 Chapter 20 ANGER AND TENDERNESS 1981–1984 Chapter 21 WORDS THAT BLEW OUR LIVES APART 1984–1990 Chapter 22 CITIZEN POET 1991–1998 Chapter 23 I AM MY ART 1999–2012 Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index A NOTE ON THE TYPE