Katie Clark
Professor Potuchek
WGS 222
11 November 2013
Biography: Robin Morgan
Robin Morgan was born on January 29, 1941 in Lake Worth, Florida. Throughout her
childhood however, she was under the impression that she had been born a year earlier, part of
one of the stories her mother created about the circumstances of her birth. As a child, Morgan
was given several different stories about her father (who was absent from her life). Eventually,
Morgan sought out her father (a Dr. Mates Morganstern), but was disappointed to discover he
wanted nothing to do with her or her mother. Although she was born in Florida, Morgan grew up
in and around New York. As a child, Morgan starred in several different radio and television
programs. When she turned fourteen - against the wishes of her mother - Morgan decided to
leave show business and pursue her education; she graduated from the Wetter School in 1956
and was then privately tutored until 1959. Later, she continued her studies as Columbia
University.
Morgan always nurtured a love for writing: her first published work was poetry written
when she was only 17. In 1962, she became heavily involved with anti-war Left movements and
wrote articles and poetry for publications such as The Guardian, Liberation and Rat, intended for
a counter-culture audience. 1962 was also the year she married Kenneth Pitchford, with whom
she would have son Blake Morgan in 1969. She worked as an editor at Grove Press until her
association with union activities led to them firing her; she led an occupation of Grove Press in
protestation of the anti-union establishing sentiments as well as a failure to provide proper
royalties to Betty Shabazz (Malcolm X’s widow). She and eight others were arrested for their
efforts. In the mid 1970s Morgan became a contributing editor to Ms. Magazine and eventually,
from 1989 to 1994 would serve as its editor-in-chief. She was a founding member of the shortlived New York Radical Women group in 1967; in the following year, she acted as a key
organizer in protests of the Miss American pageant in Atlantic City. That same year, Morgan
helped form Women’s International Terrorist Conspiracy from Hell (WITCH), a radical feminist
organization that called attention to sexism through street theater. Her work had not been
confined to just the United States either: she has traveled to Palestine, Jordan, Egypt and a
plethora of other countries to meet women activists.
Morgan has authored almost too many works to properly enumerate, but perhaps her
most famous is her work done editing the first anthology of feminist writings, Sisterhood is
Powerful, published in 1970. Not only was it cited as “one of the most influential books of the
20th century,” but it is also credited as helping to start the general Women’s Movement in the
United States. There were two follow up volumes: Sisterhood is Global (1984) and Sisterhood is
Forever (2003). In 1984 she also founded the Sisterhood is Global Institute, and served as its
Secretary, as it Vice President and later - after years of reusing the position - as its President.
Morgan is credited with the coining of the term “herstory.”
Robin Morgan has been awarded accolades such as being named “Woman of the Year”
in 1990 by the Feminist Majority Foundation and was the recipient of the National Endowment
for the Arts Prize (for poetry) along with many more. She is the co-founder of Women’s Media
Center and is involved with countless other organizations, often serving as a board member. Her
poetry, journalism, fiction and nonfiction work stand currently at an impressive number, and she
has recently released her latest published work. Her tireless work through the decades paints the
picture of an incredible and inspiring woman.
WORKS CITED
"Biography - ROBIN MORGAN." Weebly. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2013. <http://
robinmorgan.weebly.com/biography.html>.
"Robin Morgan - Bio." Official Website of Robin Morgan. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2013. <http://
www.robinmorgan.us/robin_morgan_bio.asp>.
"Robin Morgan." She Source. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
<http://www.shesource.org/experts/
profile/robin-morgan>.