Olds, Sharon (Vol. 32) - Introduction

Sharon Olds 1942–

American poet and critic.

Olds is regarded as a promising poet on the basis of her first two volumes, Satan Says (1980) and The Dead and the Living (1984). She often writes about pain, anger, and violence with extreme emotional involvement, but she also depicts with gentle humor her experiences as a girl, a woman, and a mother. Despite the intensely personal nature of Olds's poetry, critics note her ability to evoke the universal. They also praise her handling of such contrasting topics as violence and love, death and life, and terror and humor.

(See also Contemporary Authors, Vol. 101.)