---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is the lesbian in us who is creative…"
description: "\"It is the lesbian in us who is creative, for the dutiful daughter of the fathers in us is only a hack.\" — Adrienne Rich"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4c/adrienne-rich-803_children_it-is-the-lesbian-in-us-who-is-creative_805450.png"
---

#  It is the lesbian in us who is creative, for the dutiful…

![“It is the lesbian in us who is creative, for the dutiful daughter of the fathers in us is only a hack.” quote by Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4c/adrienne-rich-803_children_it-is-the-lesbian-in-us-who-is-creative_805450.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4c/adrienne-rich-803_children_it-is-the-lesbian-in-us-who-is-creative_805450.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4c/adrienne-rich-803_children_it-is-the-lesbian-in-us-who-is-creative_805450.png)

> “It is the lesbian in us who is creative, for the dutiful daughter of the fathers in us is only a hack.”

[Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Creative expression emerges from authentic identity, while conforming to imposed roles feels inauthentic.

**In simple terms:** Authenticity fuels creativity; conformity feels hacky.

Key Takeaway

Embrace authentic voice.

Themes

identity creativity gender roles

Mood

provocative empowering

Type

poetic political

When to use this quote

- artistic writing
- activism
- personal storytelling
- teaching

Key Concepts

feminist theory authenticity self‑expression

Questions to Reflect On

- How does your identity influence your creativity?
- What risks arise from rejecting conformity?

A Different Perspective

May alienate audiences resistant to non‑normative views.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Daughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daughter/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Hacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hacks/) [Lesbian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lesbian/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/)

## Related quotes

> [“I know. I know. Me? Dutiful daughter? All-round good girl? Owner of an up-and-coming event-planning company? Killer of plants and unwed at thirty? Pulling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-desai/i-know-i-know-me-dutiful-daughter-all-round-good-girl-owner-of-an-up/)

[Sara Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-desai/)

> [“He sighed. “You’ve chosen poorly, you know. When we return to England you’ll be celebrated, just as I will be. If you’ve decided to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-enoch/he-sighed-you-ve-chosen-poorly-you-know-when-we-return-to-england-you/)

[Suzanne Enoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-enoch/)

> [The suppressed lesbian I had been carrying in me since adolescence began to stretch her limbs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/the-suppressed-lesbian-i-had-been-carrying-in-me-since-adolescence/)

[Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/)

> [It iscrucial that we understand lesbian/feminism in the deepest, most radical sense: as that love for ourselves and other women, that commitment to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/it-iscrucial-that-we-understand-lesbian-feminism-in-the-deepest-most/)

[Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/)

> [Lesbian existence comprises both the breaking of a taboo and the rejection of a compulsory way of life. It is also a direct or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/lesbian-existence-comprises-both-the-breaking-of-a-taboo-and-the/)

[Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/)

> [There are writers who will do whatever they are told regardless of the circumstances - these are called 'hacks.' Your job isn't to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-simone/there-are-writers-who-will-do-whatever-they-are-told-regardless-of/)

[Gail Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-simone/)

> [The Democrats can't lose, so they got rid of Bob Torricelli, way beyond when it was permissible. The time for a replacement had passed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-democrats-can-t-lose-so-they-got-rid-of-bob-torricelli-way-beyond/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [Let us never accept the point of view that mysteries are written by hacks. The poorest of us shed our blood over every chapter.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/let-us-never-accept-the-point-of-view-that-mysteries-are-written-by/)

[Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/)

> [The only people that actually like Schiff are media hacks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trish-regan/the-only-people-that-actually-like-schiff-are-media-hacks/)

[Trish Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trish-regan/)

> [I love New York, but it's a rough city. It's not dangerous now the way it was in the 70's or the 80's, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-gerwig/i-love-new-york-but-it-s-a-rough-city-it-s-not-dangerous-now-the-way/)

[Greta Gerwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-gerwig/)

> [ ...The British press... \[claimed that Tony\] Blair was simply Bush's poodle - a favorite phrase, bewilderingly popular, although it made no sense - and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-king/the-british-press-claimed-that-tony-blair-was-simply-bush-s-poodle-a/)

[Larry King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-king/)

> [Every morning I walk by a funeral home, and that's my productivity hack for how to make sure your to-do list is properly prioritized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anil-dash/every-morning-i-walk-by-a-funeral-home-and-that-s-my-productivity/)

Anil Dash

> [“Choose and create a circle of proper advisors around you. Do not discuss your project with your relatives, neighbor, grandmother, friends’ friends, pastor, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmytro-zaporozhtsev/choose-and-create-a-circle-of-proper-advisors-around-you-do-not/)

Dmytro Zaporozhtsev

> [“Wireless Hacks, 2nd Edition Table of Contents Foreword”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wireless-hacks-2nd-edition-table-of-contents-foreword/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [When you operate in an overbuilt metropolis, you have to hack your way with a meat ax,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-moses/when-you-operate-in-an-overbuilt-metropolis-you-have-to-hack-your-way/)

[Robert Moses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-moses/)

## More by Adrienne Rich

> [Only to have a grief equal to all these tears!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/only-to-have-a-grief-equal-to-all-these-tears/)

[Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/)

> [“Responsibility to yourself means refusing to let others do your thinking, talking, and naming for you...it means that you do not treat your body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/responsibility-to-yourself-means-refusing-to-let-others-do-your/)

[Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/)

> [The beauty of darkness is how it lets you see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/the-beauty-of-darkness-is-how-it-lets-you-see/)

[Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/)

> [What I search for continuously in my art is adequate language, language I hope can stand beyond any particular occasion. What I'm finding is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/what-i-search-for-continuously-in-my-art-is-adequate-language/)

[Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/)

> [“Well, she's long about her coming, who must be more merciless to herself than history. Her mind full to the wind, I see her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/well-she-s-long-about-her-coming-who-must-be-more-merciless-to/)

[Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/)

> [I think my work comes out of both an intense desire for connection and what it means to feel isolated. There's always going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/i-think-my-work-comes-out-of-both-an-intense-desire-for-connection/)

[Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/)

> [Popular culture entered my life as Shirley Temple, who was exactly my age and wrotea letter in the newspapers telling how her mother fixed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/popular-culture-entered-my-life-as-shirley-temple-who-was-exactly-my/)

[Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/)

> [... in a history of spiritual rupture, a social compact built on fantasy and collective secrets, poetry becomes more necessary than ever: it keeps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/in-a-history-of-spiritual-rupture-a-social-compact-built-on-fantasy/)

[Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/)

> [It's as if, in the mother's eyes, her smile, her stroking touch, the child first reads the message:'You are there!'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/it-s-as-if-in-the-mother-s-eyes-her-smile-her-stroking-touch-the/)

[Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/)

> [The women's movement appeared at a very crucial moment in my life. There was a whole political movement asking such questions and others I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/the-women-s-movement-appeared-at-a-very-crucial-moment-in-my-life/)

[Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/)

> [The word revolution itself has become not only a dead relic of Leftism, but a key to the deadendedness of male politics: the revolution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/the-word-revolution-itself-has-become-not-only-a-dead-relic-of/)

[Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/)

> [The decision to feed the world is the real decision. No revolution has chosen it. For that choice requires that women shall be free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/the-decision-to-feed-the-world-is-the-real-decision-no-revolution-has/)

[Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/)

> [The necessity of poetry has to be stated over and over, but only to those who have reason to fear its power, or those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/the-necessity-of-poetry-has-to-be-stated-over-and-over-but-only-to/)

[Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/)

> [I think many poets, including myself, write both for the voice and for the page. I certainly write for the person alone in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/i-think-many-poets-including-myself-write-both-for-the-voice-and-for/)

[Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/)

> [If I cling to circumstances I could feel not responsible. Only she who says she did not choose, is the loser in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/if-i-cling-to-circumstances-i-could-feel-not-responsible-only-she-who/)

[Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/)

[Explore all 364 Adrienne Rich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/)

## More Children quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/)

[Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/)

> [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/)

[Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/)

> [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/)

[Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/)

> [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/)

[Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/)

> [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/)

[Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/)

> [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/)

[Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/)

[Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/)

> [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

> [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/)

[Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/)

> [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/)

[Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/)

> [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/)

[Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/)

[Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "It is the lesbian in us who is creative, for the dutiful daughter of the fathers in us is only a hack.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Adrienne Rich"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/it-is-the-lesbian-in-us-who-is-creative-for-the-dutiful-daughter-of/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Children"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/it-is-the-lesbian-in-us-who-is-creative-for-the-dutiful-daughter-of/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4c/adrienne-rich-803_children_it-is-the-lesbian-in-us-who-is-creative_805450.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4c/adrienne-rich-803_children_it-is-the-lesbian-in-us-who-is-creative_805450.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4c/adrienne-rich-803_children_it-is-the-lesbian-in-us-who-is-creative_805450.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It is the lesbian in us who is creative, for the dutiful daughter of the fathers in us is only a hack.” — Adrienne Rich",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Adrienne Rich",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "It is the lesbian in us...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/it-is-the-lesbian-in-us-who-is-creative-for-the-dutiful-daughter-of/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/it-is-the-lesbian-in-us-who-is-creative-for-the-dutiful-daughter-of/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
