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Maria Irene Fornés (1930-2018) was one of the leading figures in the Off-Broadway movement in New York, often called the one of the “greatest and least acknowledged” playwrights of her generation. As a talented playwright and director, she wrote over 50 works for the stage. As a teacher, she created space for other members of the theater community to experiment with the form.

Katharine Lee Bates (1859-1929) was a poet, professor, and social reformer. She authored the poem “America the Beautiful,” which was adapted into a song and adopted as an American anthem. Katharine was also at the forefront of the settlement house movement alongside her life companion and fellow professor, Katherine Coman.

Edythe Eyde (1921-2015) was an author, songwriter, and activist. In 1947, she published the first-ever lesbian publication in North America – at a time when doing so was illegal. While she published primarily under pseudonyms, Edythe Eyde has been recognized in recent years as a pioneer in the LGBTQ+ movement for her activism and wide-ranging cultural contributions.

Etel Adnan (1925-2021) was a poet, novelist and painter, once named “arguably the most celebrated and accomplished Arab American author writing today.” Later in life, she received widespread acclaim for her paintings.

Marguerite Duras (1914-1996) was a pioneer of autofiction and one of the most widely-read French writers in the postwar era. She specialized in blurring the lines between autobiography and imagination, mining her myriad of hardships for narrative gold. Her novel “The Lover” reflected her experiences growing up in French Indochina and became an international bestseller.

Suniti Namjoshi (1941-present) is a poet, fabulist and mythologist born in India. Her short, playful fables and myths challenge sexism, racism and homophobia. She’s written over thirty books, including ten novels, ten books of poetry, and fourteen children’s books.