Monster Poems

Robin Morgan's first book of poems made its own history. Thirty thousand hardcover copies selling in the first six months alone is unheard of for any book of poems, much less for a first book by a young poet. What no one, including Morgan and her publishers, anticipated was the size and hunger of the new female readership. Poets are accustomed to audiences of twenty loyal souls, but readings drew hundreds of people; on three occasions Morgan give readings for packed auditoriums that seated a thousand or more. The title poem, "Monster," was quickly termed ""The anthem of the Women's Movement,"" and lines from it showed up on buttons, bumper stickers, t-shirts, posters, and graffitti.