On January 23, 1993, Maya Angelou stood on the steps of the White House and delivered a poem in honor of President Bill Clinton's inauguration. African-American's poetrys' turbulent history spans more than two hundred years and includes a diversity of styles and philosophies. From Langston Hughes, the genius of the Harlem Renaissance, to Rita Dove, the poet laureate of the United States from 1993 to 1995, author Michael Strickland looks at the life and works of ten outstanding African-American poets. Each of these poets speaks directly to a reader's heart with a unique voice and point-of-view:
(1753-1784) |
(b. 1942) |
(1872-1906) |
(b. 1943) |
(1902-1967) |
(b. 1928) |
(b. 1917) |
(b. 1929) |
(b. 1934) |
(b. 1952) |
"This solid and sensible collective biography of ten African American Poets, from Phillis Wheatley to Rita Dove, is nicely done indeed. Librarians, teachers, and students will welcome this collection, with essays that are just the right length for citing in reports. Each essay outlines the life and covers the work of the poet, and each ends, appropriately, with a complete poem ... a great collection builder."
"Strickland discusses the person and the poetry as well as the literary tradition. A final bibliography includes works by and about each poet ... for report writers and for readers just discovering the pleasure of the poetry, this accessible collection, with its bright cover and direct style, is a good place to start."
"A valuable contribution ... Each biography includes references to the poets body of work and contains excellent critical comments. In addition, the reader learns of the poet's activities beyond the field of writing ... After reading these collective biographies, many should find the time to read more of these poets' works. This book will be a valuable resource for Black History Month."
