THE POET Gwendolyn Brooks
Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000) was an American poet, author, and teacher whose work often dealt with the personal celebrations and struggles of ordinary people in her community. Born in Topeka, Kansas, Brooks’ family moved to Chicago when she was an infant and her poetry was greatly influenced by the city she called home. Brooks was the first African-American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry (1950, for Annie Allen ). She was also a Poet Laureate of Illinois (1968-2000), Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress (1985–86), and the first African-American woman inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters (1976).

August 12, 2020