Since the appearance of her first collection, Cruelty (1973), Ai has become a major force in contemporary poetry, pushing her chosen poetic form, the dramatic monologue, to courageous new limits. Her poetry is refreshingly simple in style, yet challenging and complex in theme and interpretation. Still growing and evolving as a skilled poet, Ai has only scratched the surface of her potential and ability.

Ai was born Florence Anthony on 21 October 1947. She did not know who her real father was until she was twenty-six years old. She was conceived during an affair Mrs. Anthony had at sixteen; when Mr. Anthony found out, he beat his wife repeatedly. Finally, after moving in with her parents, Mrs. Anthony gave birth to Florence in Albany, Texas. Of mixed ethnic heritage, Ai describes herself as "1/2 Japanese, 1/8 Choctaw, 1/4 Black, and 1/16 Irish." Ai was raised a Catholic and sent to an integrated Catholic school, where...