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Robin Morgan, Feminist Poet and Editor, Dies at 83
Confirmed
In Short: Robin Morgan, a key figure in the second-wave feminist movement, passed away at 83, leaving behind a legacy of activism and poetry.
Robin Morgan, a pivotal figure in the second-wave feminist movement, passed away at 83, according to reports. She was at the center of defining moments in feminism, helping found groups like New York Radical Women and W.I.T.C.H. in the 1960s.
Morgan is considered 'one of the architects of the contemporary women’s movement,' as stated by the Women’s Media Center (WMC), which she co-founded with Jane Fonda and Gloria Steinem. Her death was confirmed by her son, Blake Morgan, who said she died after a series of health problems in recent weeks.
Morgan was known for her activism, writing, and poetry. She coined the term 'herstory' and popularized the clenched fist/female symbol of the liberation movement. Her poem 'Monster' was a rallying cry for feminist causes, and her work 'I accuse/Ted Hughes' inspired the title for Sonic Youth’s album.
Morgan considered herself primarily a poet and artist, and her legacy is marked by her deeds, words, and images. Her son, Blake Morgan, noted that she was able to distill big ideas into succinct phrases, such as 'hate generalizes, love specifies.
What's confirmed
- Morgan was at the center of some of the defining moments of what came to be called second-wave feminism, expanding upon the achievements of the suffragists a half-century earlier.
- During the 1960s and 1970s, Morgan embodied and inspired historic changes in how women lived and thought.
- As she was happy to point out, the one-time “Ideal American Girl” and adored “Little Robin Morgan” was a rule-breaker and justice seeker with a notable list of achievements, along with a prison record and an FBI file.
- Her poem “Monster,” with such lines as “I want a women’s revolution like a lover/I lust for it,” was quoted at feminist rallies and beyond.
- Her poem “Arraignment” helped capture the movement’s embrace of the late Sylvia Plath and condemnation of her husband, poet Ted Hughes.
What's still developing
- WMC President Julie Burton called Morgan “one of the architects of the contemporary women’s movement,” hailing her writing and “global leadership for justice and equality.” The statement didn’t specify the location, date or cause of Morgan's death.
- Morgan’s rhyming couplet “I accuse/Ted Hughes” inspired the title for Sonic Youth’s “J’Accuse Ted Hughes.” Labeled an “anarchist housewife” in one government report, Morgan confronted the establishment, left and right.
- Credited with coining “herstory” (history from a woman’s perspective), Ms Morgan wrote the popular Sisterhood anthology series and authored over 20 books during her lifetime.
- Ms Morgan’s musician son, Blake Morgan, announced her demise on Saturday.
- Robin Morgan, a seasoned writer, editor and feminist who amplified women’s struggles and protested the gender’s second-class treatment, has died at the age of 85 in Manhattan, New York.
- Ms Morgan, a child star in the mid-aughts, gained prominence in the 1940s and, when she grew older, used her fame to lend voice to women’s issues.