author
Lola Ridge
1873–1941
A fierce modernist voice, this Irish-born poet wrote vividly about immigrant neighborhoods, labor struggles, and political conviction. Her work blends sharp social feeling with lyrical energy, making it feel both grounded and urgent.
2 Audiobooks
The Ghetto, and Other Poems
by Lola Ridge
Sun-Up, and Other Poems
by Lola Ridge
About the author
Born in Dublin on December 12, 1873, she spent part of her youth in New Zealand and Australia before moving to the United States in the early 20th century. Writing as Lola Ridge, she became known as a poet, editor, and outspoken presence in radical literary circles.
Her first major collection, The Ghetto and Other Poems (1918), drew attention for its powerful portrayal of Jewish immigrant life on New York’s Lower East Side. She went on to publish several more books of poetry, and her writing often joined modernist experimentation with deep concern for workers, immigrants, and social justice.
Ridge was also influential beyond her own poems: she edited and contributed to avant-garde, feminist, and left-wing publications, helping shape the literary culture around her. She died in Brooklyn on May 19, 1941, but her reputation has grown steadily as readers have returned to her bold, politically engaged work.