bell hooks (1952-2021) was an influential cultural critic, educator, and writer. Celebrated as one of America’s leading public intellectuals, she was a charismatic speaker and writer who taught and lectured around the world. Her unique pseudonym honors her great-grandmother, a brilliant and strong-willed Black woman who inspired her commitment to resistance and freedom. hooks was the author of more than 40 books, including the New York Times bestsellers All About Love and Communion in the landmark Love Song to the Nation trilogy, as well as the memoir Bone Black: Memories of Girlhood and the poetry collection Appalachian Elegy.