Adrienne Rich books in order
American poet, essayist and feminist
- Lived
- 1929–2012
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 26
Adrienne Rich published 2 novellas, 2 non-fiction books, 17 poetry collections and 5 other books, beginning with Diving into the Wreck (1973). The best-known is Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence (1980).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Adrienne Rich
Start here
Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence
Adrienne Rich's most-read book.
Novellas in order
The Dream of a Common Language (1978)
A Wild Patience Has Taken Me This Far (1981)
Non-fiction in order
Of Women Born (1976)
On Lies, Secrets and Silence (1979)
Poetry in order
A Change of World (1971)
The Will to Change (1971)
Diving into the Wreck (1973)
Poems (1974)
poetry (1975)
The Fact of a Doorframe (1984)
Blood, Bread, and Poetry (1986)
An Atlas of the Difficult World (1991)
Poetry and Prose (1993)
What Is Found There (1993)
Selected Poems, 1950-1995 (1996)
Midnight Salvage (1999)
Arts of the Possible (2001)
Fox (2001)
Poetry and Commitment (2007)
Human Eye (2010)
Tonight No Poetry Will Serve (2011)
Other books in order
The Diamond Cutters (1955)
Of Woman Born (1977)
Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence (1980)
Snapshots of a Daughter-in-law (1980)
Darkfields of the Republic (1995)
About Adrienne Rich
Adrienne Cecile Rich was an American poet, essayist and feminist. She was called "one of the most widely read and influential poets of the second half of the 20th century", and was credited with bringing "the oppression of women and lesbians to the forefront of poetic discourse". Rich criticized the rigid identities that are sometimes created by feminism, called for feminism that is flexible and open to being transformed, and drew attention to the existing current of solidarity and creativity among women, which she named the "lesbian continuum."
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Adrienne Rich FAQ
- How many books has Adrienne Rich written?
- Adrienne Rich published 2 novellas, 2 non-fiction books, 17 poetry collections and 5 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Adrienne Rich's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence.
- What is Adrienne Rich's last book?
- A Wild Patience Has Taken Me This Far (1981).
- What is Adrienne Rich's most famous book?
- Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence (1980) is Adrienne Rich's most widely read book.
Authors like Adrienne Rich
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.