Denise Duhamel is a poet who writes extensively about women and gender issues. Her early works like Smile! and Girl Soldier used poetry to explore real issues women face in realistic yet imaginative ways. Later works like Kinky took a more humorous approach, using the character of Barbie to represent societal standards for women. Throughout her career, Duhamel's poetry has brought feminist perspectives to topics sometimes seen as taboo and given readers new insights into the female experience.