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Mike Rivera's avatar

Yes, her life story is a series of unlikely events - it's amazing. She was married to a Kiwi and gave her 7 year old son to an orphanage upon moving to the US in order to pursue her political and artistic interests.

She was also beaten by police in a public square while protesting a double execution. Seriously a character of humanity.

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Dick Whyte's avatar

Wow - amazing stuff. Yeah, that's a great way of putting it, "a character of humanity." Love that.

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Dick Whyte's avatar

So wonderful to see Lola Ridge getting some attention! Love her work so much. Her low opinion of police makes a lot of sense given her anarchist leanings. :-) She actually lived in New Zealand, where I am based, for a short time, and published some of her earliest poems here, which I was really excited to learn. Here's one of my favs:

.

Skyscrapers

.

Skyscrapers . . . remote, unpartisan . . .

Turning neither to the right nor left

Your imperturbable fronts . . .

Austerely greeting the sun

With one chilly finger of stone . . .

I know your secrets . . . better than all the policemen

like fat blue mullet along the avenue.

.

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