THE VFA PIONEER HISTORIES PROJECT

Adrienne Rich

November May 16, 1929 – March 27, 2012

“I think that there’s a real philosophical question before the women’s movement now whether what we want is to redefine power or do away with power altogether, power relationships. Is power itself meaningful? What would power mean for women? …. I suppose for me, a truly feminist society would be a society in which everyone was powerful, in which no one was being told what limits they had to put on themselves because of their role, their sex, their color, their sexual preference, or whatever.” – Adrienne Rich, June 1974 

Poet, author, educator. One of the most influential and political American poets of the last century. Author of more than 30 widely read books of poetry and prose over six decades, she believed that art and politics are indivisible. Her radical focus on feminism, sexuality, civil rights, Jewish identity and the anti-war movement positioned her as a leading activist.

Photo. Adrienne Rich with her Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize award in 1986. (Associated Press)