New York State poet laureate from 1998 to 2000, Sharon Olds is the author of eight volumes of poetry, including Satan Says (1981), The Gold Cell (1987), The Father (1992), and Blood, Tin, and Straw (1999). Her poems are renowned for their emotional power and striking imagery. The New York Times wrote of her, "Like Whitman, Ms. Olds sings the body in celebration of a power stronger than political oppression."
