Carolyn Ashley Kizer was born on December 10, 1925. Her father was a lawyer and her mother a labor organizer in the Pacific Northwest, although she had earned a doctorate in biology. His parents were older than those of his friends, but they filled the house with a rich intellectual atmosphere that certainly influenced the young Kizer (McFarland). During her childhood her parents read the works of Whitman and Keats to her at bedtime (Schumock), but it was not until she reached middle age that she devoted herself to literary pursuits. It is strange that such a revelation occurred so late in life, considering that the poet Vachel Lindsay was a guest of his parents, not to mention the academically liberating atmosphere. But Kizer herself refers to this change of direction with the repressed “psychic energy” (O'Conner) following her divorce from her first husband and the tutelage of her mentor and teacher Theodore Roethke. Through this revival and beyond, Kizer has left a trail of politically, socially, and culturally relevant poetry that has earned her numerous awards and recognition, including the Pulitzer Prize in 1985 for her collection Yin. One of his most famous works, entitled “Bitch,” was published in 1984 in the poetry collection Mermaids in the Basement. The poem written in a single stanza of 34 lines describes the scene of a woman meeting an ex-lover in a chance encounter. What is then depicted in the poem is an intricate display of conflicting emotions and thoughts. Outwardly, the woman is polite and kind to the man, but internally her "bitch" gets angry during the meeting. His inner "bitch" remembers the relationship and wants the woman to outwardly show her contempt. The woman's internal dialogue subdues the unbridled desire of her harsh inner cry... to the center of the paper... a rare glimpse into this dynamic and, in turn, offers the reader not only a beautiful story, but also a glimpse more attentive to yourself. Works Cited Kizer, Carolyn A. "Poetry Magazine." Carolyn Kizer bitch. Copper Canyon Press. Network. May 27, 2012. .Kuhn, Elisabeth D. "Kizer's Bitch." The Explicator 66.2 (2008): 108-11. Print.McFarland, Ron. "Carolyn Kizer." Encyclopedia of world authors. 4th ed. Pasadena, CA: Salem, 2003. MagillOnLiterature Plus. December 28, 2011. Web. May 27, 2012. O'Connell, Nicholas. At the End of Camp: Interviews with 22 Pacific Northwest Writers. Seattle: University of Washington, 1998. Print.Schumock, Jim. History, History, History: Conversations with American Authors. Seattle: Black Heron, 1999. Print.Wurtzel, Elizabeth. Whore: In praise of difficult women. New York: Doubleday, 1998. Print.