She published numerous scholarly articles, appeared in documentary films, and participated in public lectures.

She published around 40 books, including works that ranged from essays, poetry, and children's books. The focus of hooks' writing was to explore the intersectionality of race, capitalism, and gender, and what she described as their ability to produce and perpetuate systems of oppression and class domination. She is best known for her writings on race, feminism, and class. Gloria Jean Watkins (Septem– December 15, 2021), better known by her pen name bell hooks, was an American author, theorist, educator, and social critic who was a Distinguished Professor in Residence at Berea College. We Real Cool: Black Men and Masculinity (2004).Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center (1984).Ain't I a Woman?: Black Women and Feminism (1981).