American poet Anne Sexton could tell a story that would elicit tears. And yet, her words hold the ring of truth as well as the hollow toll of misery and despair. Just when the sense of her lines seems unbearable, the poetry of them hooks into the reader's veins and persists there. Sexton, a Confessio

Anxiety, Confessional poetry, Dark, Death, Feminine, Melancholy, Moody, Visceral, Women's literature

As a teacher, writer, and cultural critic, bell hooks consistently pinpoints the nastiest dust balls of sexism, racism, and homophobia that lurk in the dark corners of society. She challenges readers of all cultural or political stances with the perspective that no 'ism' is flawless and no one is ent

African american fiction, Deconstructive, Feminism, Feminist, In-your-face, Political, Women's literature

Known to refer to herself on occasion as "Zora, Queen of the Niggerati," Zora Neale Hurston cut a provocative figure during the Harlem Renaissance, both in her person and in her writing. As folklorist, teacher, anthropologist, and author, Hurston was a champion of black heritage. She visited Haiti an

African american fiction, Feminist, Political, Southern gothic, Spiritual, Tribal, Women's literature

French critic and novelist Simone de Beauvoir reinvented the feminist debate with her shocking text, "The Second Sex" (1953), which has become a theoretical bible for those interested in Existentialist and Marxist analysis of women's societal subservience. Since the arrival of Postmodernism at the ce

Existentialist literature, Existentialist theory, Feminism, Feminist, Pioneering, Smart, Social revolution, Women's literature