| First and foremost, for their vision and courage, I am deeply grateful to the poets whose works fill these pages. I am just one of the multitudes of readers for whom their rebellious poetries have been life-altering. |
| I am indebted to those who listened to my ideas as they took shape, prompted me in fruitful directions, and painstakingly critiqued the manuscript in some or all of its stages. In addition to thoughtful readings, Rebecca Chopp, Robert Detweiler, and Cristine Levenduski consistently offered encouragement and advice. Many, many thanks go to Martha Henn, Kim Loudermilk, Annie Merrill Ingram, and Maria Pramaggiore for their incisive readings and rereadings, and for long hours of companionable exchange; with them I learned the possibility of feminist community. Carole Meyers's readings and support, as well as our discussions about literary history, have proven indispensable. I am grateful to Rosemary Magee for our ongoing conversations about women's writing and to Janet McAdams for her insights into Native American history and literature. Tammy Oberhausen provided invaluable assistance in preparing the final manuscript. Finally, for her patience and her commitment to this project, my enduring thanks goes to Seetha A-Srinivasan. |
| For their kind assistance, I am thankful to curator R. Russell Maylone and the Special Collections staff who manage the Women's Collection at Northwestern University Library. Most of this manuscript was written while I was at the School of Literature, Communication, and Culture at Georgia Institute of Technology, and I am particularly indebted to my students, who taught me day after day the power of poetry, and all literature, to delight, challenge, and transform. |
| A host of others have kept me going. Thanks always to Valerie Epifani, whose laugh calls the sun. A lifetime of thanks goes to Susan Peterson, who believes I can do most anything, and Andrew Chancey, who is always there. Among the many women who have provided me |
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