Houdini

Muriel Rukeyser (1913-1980) is one of our country's most influential yet overlooked writers. She published fifteen collections of poetry, plays, translations, children's books, and several works of nonfiction. Her "toys of fame" include the Yale Younger Poets Award, the Copernicus Award from the Academy of Arts and Letters, and the Shelley Memorial Award. From 1975-1976, she served as president of P. E. N. American Center.