Adrienne Rich (b.1929 – d.2012)
Adrienne Rich’s most important work brought her iconic status as a lesbian feminist poet and thinker. Like Gwendolyn Brooks (also featured in this exhibition) she underwent a process of transformation during the 1960s and 70s, the era of Vietnam War and the “second wave” of the women’s movement. From then on, her poems combine evocations of personal experience with a sharp critique of gender inequality, racism, and imperialism. Rich’s 1970 collection Diving into the Wreck is considered a feminist masterpiece, and she also penned influential essays on politics and art. Her work maintained its political thrust at the end of her career, as she responded to events such as the 9/11 attack and its aftermath.
