Skip to main content
20 years
Narrative
x
  • FICTION
  • POETRY
  • NONFICTION
  • LIBRARY
    • by Author
    • by Theme
    • by Title, Form, Author
    • Narrative Prize Winners
    • Story Lists
    • Contests
  • LEARN
    • Narrative for Schools
    • High School Writing Contest
    • Writing Prompts
    • Video Tutorials
    • Writers & Mentors Videos
    • Advice for Writers
    • Writers’ Resources
    • This Could Be Me
    • Recommended Reading
    • Theme-Based Reading Guide
    • Explore Our Library by Theme
    • A Note to Teachers
    • A Note to Students
    • About Narrative for Schools
  • BACKSTAGE
  • STORE
  • SUBMIT
  • ABOUT
    • Mission
    • Masthead
    • Board of Directors
    • Friends & Patrons
    • Events
    • Recent Awards for Our Authors
    • Narrative in the News
    • FAQ
    • Advertise in Narrative
  • DONATE
  • SIGN IN
manage_search Narrative
TELL ME A STORY
person
SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE
search
  • FICTION
  • POETRY
  • NONFICTION
  • LIBRARY
    • BY AUTHOR
    • BY THEME
    • BY TITLE, FORM, AUTHOR
    • NARRATIVE PRIZE WINNERS
    • STORY LISTS
    • CONTESTS
  • LEARN
    • NARRATIVE FOR SCHOOLS
    • HIGH SCHOOL CONTEST
    • WRITING PROMPTS
    • VIDEO TUTORIALS
    • WRITERS & MENTORS VIDEOS
    • ADVICE FOR WRITERS
    • WRITERS’ RESOURCES
    • RECOMMENDED READING
    • THEME-BASED READING GUIDE
    • EXPLORE BY THEME
    • A NOTE TO TEACHERS
    • A NOTE TO STUDENTS
    • ABOUT SCHOOLS
  • BACKSTAGE
  • STORE
  • SUBMIT YOUR WORK
  • ABOUT
    • MASTHEAD
    • MISSION
    • BOARD OF DIRECTORS
    • FRIENDS & PATRONS
    • EVENTS
    • NARRATIVE IN THE NEWS
    • FAQ
    • ADVERTISE IN NARRATIVE
  • DONATE
  • ADVERTISING
Narrative is a nonprofit
supported by readers
who love great writing.
Read us.
Support us.
SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE
Sign In
  • MY ACCOUNT
  • CONTACT US
  • ADVERTISE
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TERMS OF USE
Narrative is a nonprofit
supported by readers
who love great writing.
Read us.
Support us.

Sharon Olds is one of the foremost voices in contemporary poetry. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Stag’s Leap and the National Book Critics Circle Award for Strike Sparks, and author of numerous other collections, including Balladz (2022) and Odes, she is known for writing intensely personal, emotionally graphic poems marked by grace, chivalry, and precision. Born in 1942 in San Francisco, Olds grew up a “hellfire Calvinist” in Berkeley, California, attended Stanford University, and earned her PhD from Columbia University. She teaches in the graduate writing program at New York University.

Photograph by Hillery Stone.

QUICK TAGS
Theory &
Craft

Death
Love
Mothers
War &
Violence

Life Choices
+ MORE

FOLLOW US:

September 2001, New York City

by Sharon Olds
Share
Facebook Facebook Threads Threads Reddit Reddit Forward Forward Print Print Copy link Copy link

A week later, I said to a friend: I don’t

think I could ever write about it.
Maybe in a year I could write something.
People on couch
To continue reading please sign in.
Join for free
Already a reader? Sign In

Story Right Column Menu

  • NARRATIVE FOR SCHOOLS
  • SEARCH THE LIBRARY
  • SEARCH BY THEME
  • WRITERS’ RESOURCES
  • SUBMIT YOUR WORK
  • SUPPORT NARRATIVE

Hello. Log In.

Reader Comments

There are not yet any comments on this story. Would you like to leave one?

  • CONTACT US
  • ADVERTISE
  • MY ACCOUNT
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TERMS OF USE
  • A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
Narrative is a nonprofit
supported by readers
who love great writing.
Read us.
Support us.