NEW YORK – Robin Morgan, a wholesome child star of the 1940s and ‘50s who grew up to become an all-American radical as a poet, essayist, editor and second-wave feminist, has died. She was 85.
Morgan, who was still working on new books and poems, died Saturday in New York after suffering a series of health problems in recent weeks, said her son, Blake Morgan. Her death came just days after that of her close friend and fellow activist Gloria Steinem.
During the 1960s and ’70s, Morgan embodied and inspired historic changes in how women lived and thought. As she was happy to point out, the onetime “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.
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. In 1968, she was among the organizers of the first protest against the Miss America pageant, joining fellow activists in tossing their bras (soon mythologized as burning) into a “Freedom Trash Can.” The 1970 essay anthology she edited, “Sisterhood is Powerful,” is considered one of the essential texts of the modern women’s movement.
Yet she considered herself primarily a poet and artist, and that work fed into her activism, her son said.
“She was someone who was able to take very big ideas and distill them succinctly, like a poet, into a few words,” said Blake Morgan, pointing to such quotes of hers as “hate generalizes, love specifies.”
Morgan was credited for coining “herstory,” a feminist reworking of “history.” Her legacy was one of deeds, words and images. She popularized the clenched fist/female symbol icon of the liberation movement. Her poem “Monster,” with lines like “I want a women’s revolution like a lover/I lust for it,” became a rallying cry at feminist events. Additionally, her poem “Arraignment” expressed the movement’s embrace of Sylvia Plath, condemning her husband, poet Ted Hughes, whom many blamed for Plath’s suicide in 1963. Morgan’s couplet “I accuse/Ted Hughes” even inspired the title for Sonic Youth’s “J’Accuse Ted Hughes.”
Morgan confronted the establishment, both left and right. In 1970, she and fellow protesters were arrested after occupying the offices of the avant-garde Grove Press, which was fighting employee unionization. In her widely reprinted 1970 essay “Goodbye to All That,” she called out figures like Hugh Hefner and Abbie Hoffman for their treatment of women.
In her personal life, Morgan had both male and female lovers and was married for over 20 years to the gay poet Kenneth Pitchford, with whom she had her son. She described their marriage as a “two member commune” and resisted labels, often being criticized by both feminists and conservatives for her choices.
Her 2001 memoir “Saturday’s Child” reflected her joy and amazement at her life, showcasing her unique sense of humor. “Put that in your apple pie and smoke it,” she once wrote.
Morgan authored over 20 books, including “The Word of a Woman: Feminist Dispatches,” and poetry collections like “Monster” and “Dark Matter.” She also edited the influential “Sisterhood is Global” (1984) and “Sisterhood is Forever” (2002), featuring contributions from prominent feminists like Gloria Steinem and Eve Ensler. For several years, she served as editor-in-chief of Ms. Magazine.
Steinem regarded her as an ideal “utility player,” skilled in various aspects of the feminist movement. Morgan helped found several feminist organizations in the 1960s, including New York Radical Women and the Women’s International Terrorist Conspiracy from Hell (W.I.T.C.H.). She also participated in the Youth International Party, known as the “Yippies,” but left due to dissatisfaction with their treatment of women.
In 1984, Morgan co-founded the Sisterhood Is Global Institute, an early feminist think tank. Later, in 2005, she joined Steinem and Jane Fonda to launch the Women’s Media Center, aimed at promoting the visibility and decision-making power of women in media.
Despite being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease 16 years ago, Morgan remained active, hosting a syndicated radio show and continuing her writing, which included poems and a TEDWomen talk in 2015.
Morgan became a child star in the ’40s, and although she might have been forgotten in a different era, her impact is undeniable. Born in 1941 in Lake Worth, Florida, and raised in New York, she was a model by age 3 and hosted her own radio show at age 5. She appeared in the hit TV series “Mama” from 1949-57 and had a popular image as the “ideal girl-next-door.”
However, she was not as innocent as her public persona suggested. Her first serious childhood poem began with the words, “Go, rage, winter the world with despair,” revealing a deeper, more complex personality.
In her late teens, Morgan became politically active, marching for civil rights and against the Vietnam War. She also began taking classes at Columbia University, where she met influential poets and activists.
In 1962, she met Pitchford, who would become her husband. He recognized her potential and encouraged her creative journey, marking the beginning of a life dedicated to art and activism.
Robin Morgan’s life was a tapestry of artistry, activism, and profound contributions to feminism, leaving behind a powerful legacy that continues to inspire new generations.
___ Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz contributed.
