Andrea Dworkin, the self proclaimed radical feminist writer who gained both praise and notoriety during her career writing and speaking out on womens' issues has died at the age of 58.

Dworkin is perhaps best known for her stringent opposition to pornography. Her best known book, 'Pornography: Men Possessing Women' was published in 1981. In it, she argued that pornography was a violation of a woman's civil rights.

Ms. Dworkin also campaigned on behalf of former porn star Linda Lovelace, star of the landmark film 'Deep Throat' when she began her campaign against the exploitation of the porn industry.

Dworkin taught at the University of Minnesota and continued as an activist for womens' rights there. She proposed a new local ordinance that would allow those 'harmed' by pornography to sue the pornographers. The legislation passed the City Council but was twice vetoed by the mayor. Although similar laws later passed in other jurisdictions, they were ruled unconstitutional by federal court judges on First Amendment grounds.

In her book 'Intercourse,' published in 1987, Dworkin again found controversy. In the book, she complained that marriage 'mandated intercourse,' a subject she wrote about often. Some critics said she was labeling all sex as rape a charge Ms. Dworkin denied.

In 2000, she authored the book 'Scapegoat: The Jews, Israel and Women's Liberation' which asked if women should receive their own country just as the Jews had formed the State of Israel.

Dworkin married John Stoltenberg in 1998. The two of them had a friendship of 30 years and she described him as her 'life partner.' Both Dworkin and Stoltenberg are gay. Dworkin had no children and no other surviving family.

While Andrea Dworkin shocked many people and angered others, she always made people think issues over and view them in a different way. She left her mark on the world and a legacy for women everywhere that the status quo did not have to be unchanged.