Susan Griffin
Susan Griffin
================
Full Name and Common Aliases
------------------------------
Susan Griffin is the pen name of Susan Jill Katz, an American poet, writer, feminist theorist, and peace activist.
Birth and Death Dates
-----------------------
Born on March 6, 1943. Currently active in her writing career.
Nationality and Profession(s)
--------------------------------
American poet, writer, feminist theorist, and peace activist.
Early Life and Background
-----------------------------
Susan Griffin was born in Los Angeles, California, to a Jewish family of Russian-Polish descent. Growing up in a household that valued social justice and activism laid the groundwork for her future pursuits. Her early life experiences, particularly witnessing the injustices faced by women during the 1960s, instilled within her a deep commitment to feminism.
Griffin's educational background is marked by her studies at the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature and creative writing. This foundation in literary arts would serve as a cornerstone for her future work as a writer and poet.
Major Accomplishments
-------------------------
Feminist Theory and Activism: Griffin's groundbreaking works, such as "Woman and Nature: The Roaring Inside Her" (1978), significantly contributed to the development of feminist theory. These writings emphasized the interconnectedness of women's experiences with nature and highlighted the importance of ecological awareness in feminist thought.
Poetry and Literary Contributions: Griffin is also a celebrated poet, her collections including "A Chorus of Beasts: Plays on Unusual Subjects" (1996) and "The Master's Third Eye" (1986). Her poetry often explores themes of identity, morality, and the intersection of human experience with nature.
Peace Activism: Griffin has been an active peace activist throughout her career. She was a vocal critic of the Vietnam War and has continued to advocate for peace and social justice in various capacities.Notable Works or Actions
---------------------------
Some notable works include:
"Woman and Nature: The Roaring Inside Her" (1978) - a seminal work that explores the relationship between women and nature.
* "The Eros of Everyday Life" (2002) - a collection of essays examining love, desire, and intimacy in contemporary life.
Impact and Legacy
-------------------------
Susan Griffin's work has had a profound impact on feminist thought, peace activism, and literary circles. Her unique blend of poetic expression, theoretical insight, and commitment to social justice has made her a respected voice across multiple disciplines. Through her writing, she continues to inspire readers to think critically about the interconnectedness of human experience, nature, and society.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
------------------------------------------
Susan Griffin is widely quoted and remembered for her thought-provoking writings on feminism, ecology, peace activism, and literature. Her ability to weave together complex ideas with lyrical language has made her a beloved figure in both academic and literary communities. As a testament to her enduring impact, her work remains an essential part of ongoing conversations about feminism, nature, and human relationships.
Quotes by Susan Griffin
Susan Griffin's insights on:
Everyone who is born holds dual citizenship, in the kingdom of the well and in the kingdom of the sick.
To grasp the truth is a delicate gesture, like taking a hand in greeting, a lightness of touch is needed if one is to feel the presence of another being.
When we hear that “war” is made for “peace”, or that “pain” is sought for “pleasure” or that “brutality” helps one “feel”, in our minds, language ceases to describe reality. Words lose their direct relationship with actuality. And thus language and culture begin to exist entirely independently of nature.
Just as the slave master required the slaves to imitate the image he had of them, so women, who live in a relatively powerless position, politically and economically, feel obliged by a kind of implicit force to live up to culture’s image of what is female.
I know I am made from this earth, as my mother’s hands were made from this earth, as her dreams came from this earth and all that I know, I know in this earth, the body of the bird, this pen, this paper, these hands, this tongue speaking, all that I know speaks to me through this earth.
In my lifetime I have seen democracy begin to expand, not only to include those who have been excluded, but to provide a listening arena, a vocabulary, an intelligent reception for stories that have been buried. Not just stories of the disenfranchised and the marginalized, but marginalized and disenfranchised histories even in the lives of the accepted and the privileged.
This earth is my sister; I love her daily grace, her silent daring, and how loved I am. How we admire this strength in each other, all that we have lost, all that we have suffered, all that we know: We are stunned by this beauty, and I do not forget: what she is to me, what I am to her.
Every important social movement reconfigures the world in the imagination. What was obscure comes forward, lies are revealed, memory shaken, new delineations drawn over the old maps: it is from this new way of seeing the present that hope emerges for the future...Let us begin to imagine the worlds we would like to inhabit, the long lives we will share, and the many futures in our hands.
I think artists can go to a level of vision that can often save us from a situation which seems to have no solution whatsoever.
Each time I write, each time the authentic words break through, I am changed. The older order that I was collapses and dies. I lose control. I do not know exactly what words will appear on the page. I follow language. I follow the sound of the words, and I am surprised and transformed by what I record.