American anarchist with a West Coast connection

Anarchist poet Lola Ridge was one of the most famous women poets of her time in early 20th century America. And much of her fighting spirit is credited to the 23 years she spent in New Zealand. She and her mother had left Ireland for Australia, then headed to the West Coast of the South Island hoping to cash in on the gold rush and start a new life. Later, while standing up for the repressed in America, especially mistrusted and mistreated migrants - Lola Ridge led a troubled and nomadic personal life that included leaving her seven year old son in an orphanage. Over the decades, Lola has been all but forgotten, but her story is now told in a comprehensive biography by American writer Terese Svoboda. It's called Anything That Burns You, published By Schaffner Press. Terese has been speaking at the Auckland Writers Festival 2018.