bell hooks

African-American feminist, born 1952. Brilliant, poetic, often autobiographical and rather post-modern, bell hooks made her name with Ain't Ia Woman (1981), challenging the white elitism within feminism. Equal rights for all. Her critiques are accessible, sometimes theoretical, always engaged with popular culture. Her jolly new book *Feminism is for Everybody (2000) makes a nice case for "passionate politics" now.