Adrienne Rich

writer, poet

U.S. poet, scholar, and critic, Adrienne Rich was a student at Radcliffe College when her poems were chosen for publication in the Yale Younger Poets series; the resulting volume, *A Change of World* (1951), reflected her formal mastery. Her subsequent work traces a transformation from well-crafted but imitative poetry to a highly personal and powerful style. Her increasing commitment to the women's movement and a lesbian/feminist aesthetic influenced much of her work. Among her collections are *Diving into the Wreck* (1973, National Book Award) and *The Dream of a Common Language* (1978). She also wrote compelling books of nonfiction, including *Of Woman Born *(1976; National Book Award), *On Lies, Secrets, and Silence* (1979), and *What Is Found There* (1993).