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

Sylvia Plath, one of the best-known names in American women's literature, signed her first and her last books with pseudonyms. A poet since childhood, she published her debut volume "A Winter Ship" relatively late, in 1960. After studying at Smith College and later at Newnham College in Cambridge (a

Confessional poetry, Death, Feminine, Grotesque, Melancholy, Primal, Voluminous, Women's literature

A protege of dancers Eubie Blake and Noble Sissel, 15-year-old Josephine Baker began her career on the vaudeville circuits, touring with Bessie Smith as a chorus girl. After Broadway appearances in "Shuffle Along" (1921) -- which marked the advent of the black theatrical renaissance, and "Chocolate D

Elegant, Erotic, Feminine, Harlem renaissance theater, Kinetic, Sexy, Tribal

When fashion emperor Christian Dior died unexpectedly in 1957, the fashion world ground to a halt. Many wondered what would become of the legendary Dior label. Who could fill such immense shoes? Unbeknownst to many, Dior had already picked his successor: a boy-wonder named Yves Saint Laurent. Saint

Classical, Egalitarian, Elegant, Feminine, Peasant style, Quirky, Urban chic