Hilary Holladay on Adrienne Rich’s Literary Influence and Legacy

Description

Princeton University Press, paperback

Publication Date: April 15, 2025

Publisher Marketing: A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice “A comprehensive biography of . . . one of the most acclaimed poets of her generation and a face of American feminism.”—New York Times 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 Drawing on a wealth of unpublished materials, including Rich’s correspondence and in-depth interviews with many people who knew her, Hilary Holladay provides a vividly detailed, full-dimensional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.

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