I Wouldn't Thank You for a Valentine

With readable, richly varied contributions from women poets both famous and unknown, both young and old, both English-speaking and in-translation, I Wouldn't Thank You for a Valentine: Poems for Young Feminists is a timely, unique, and exceptionally inclusive anthology. Edited by Carol Ann Duffy, herself a British feminist poet of much renown, this collection of insights and truths will appeal equally to poetry buffs and poetry novices, be they students or general readers.

Carol Ann Duffy was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1955. She grew up in Stafford, England, and attended the University of Liverpool, where she obtained an honors degree in philosophy in 1977. Duffy's poetry has received numerous awards, and she is a member of the Royal Society of Literature. Among her recent books is The World's Wife:Poems, published in America by Faber and Faber (2000). Duffy currently lives in Manchester, England, where she lectures on poetry for the Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Valentine Carol Ann Duffy
For an Unborn Baby Janet Shepperson
Lullaby Rosemary Norman
Before the Fall Rachel McAlpine
from Welsh Espionage Gwyneth Lewis
School Report Carole Paine
Loch, Black Rock, Beautiful Boat Meg Campbell
Indian Children Speak Juanita Bell
natural high Jean Binta Breeze
Happy Birthday from Bennigans Julie O'Callaghan
Her First Toy Sylvia Parker
Latch-key Child Valerie Sinason
school days Jean Binta Breeze
Vestment Ana Blandiana
A Happy Childhood Eulalia Bernard
Grown Up Julie O'Callaghan
Accomplishments Cynthia MacDonald
The Name of the Game Jenny Craig
shopping Jenny Boult
Sally Phoebe Hesketh
Peck's Bad Boys Judi Benson
Good Girls Irene Rawnsley
Don't Smack Me Again Deborah Randall
This Cat Gabriela Pearse
Advice to a Teenage Daughter Isobel Thrilling
Thirteen Julie Kane
Hanging Fire Audre Lorde
Turning Sixteen Máighréad Medbh
Bette Davis Jackie Kay
Aunt Leaf Mary Oliver
The Nature Lesson Marjorie Baldwin
The Royal Grammar School, Newcastle Elaine Cusack
Short Thought Elaine Cusack
Piccadilly Line Carole Satyamurti
Skanking Englishman Between Trains Grace Nichols
Self-portraits0 Elma Mitchell
For Heidi with Blue Hair Fleur Adcock
Sex, Politics and Religion Lavinia Greenlaw
Phenomenal Woman Maya Angelou
Blind Girl Jane Cooper
Disabled Swimmers' Night Carole Satyamurti
Please Give This Seat to an Elderly or Disabled Person Nina Cassian
Didactica Nova Grete Tartler
I am Happy Delfy Gochez Fernandez
Remember Alice Walker
The Class Game Mary Casey
Yuh Hear Bout? Valerie Bloom
We Can Always Nellie Wong
A Short Note on Schoolgirls Alison Campbell
Women Laughing U. A. Fanthorpe
Whatweakersex? Fran Landsman
Sly Autumn Rita Ann Higgins
You Held Out the Light Gwendolyn MacEwen
I Wouldn't Thank You for a Valentine Liz Lochhead
Small Words Fiona Hall
Echo and Narcissus Gerda Mayer
Sweet Sixteen Eunice de Souza
Magnetic Wendy Cope
Song (October 1969) Kath Fraser
Space-age Lover Jennifer Brice
A Simple Story Gwen Harwood
The Juggler's Wife Cicely Herbert
Lovesick Carol Ann Duffy
Chat Show Vicki Raymond
To the Spider in the Crevice Behind the Toilet Door Janet Sutherland
A Woman's Work Dorothy Nimmo
Frying Tonight Julie O'Callaghan
Monument Felice Holman
At a Cannery Nishio Katsuko
The Women of Mumbles Head Maura Dooley
Unravelling Vicki Feaver
Being a Student U. A. Fanthorpe
The Genie in the Jar Nikki Giovanni
Scarecrow Stef Pixner
A Post Card from Greece Jane Whittle
Holiday Girls Vicki Raymond
Things Fleur Adcock
Anno Wreck Sick0 Magi Gibson
The Fat Black Woman's Motto on Her Bedroom Door Grace Nichols
The Fat Lady's Request Joyce la Verne
The Concerned Adolescent Wendy Cope
Mollie Haggarty Dorothy Barnham
Rules for Beginners Carol Rumens
The Way We Live Kathleen Jamie
Son Sharon Olds


Index of Authors
Acknowledgements