This just shows how her determination has had the most amazing ripple throughout communities. Poetry is often not seen as ‘mainstream’ however the beauty of the writing is so powerful. Great piece about an incredible person. Thank you.
Kate, this is one of my favorite writers ever! Thanks for the great post. Her anthology of work - Blacks - is often off my bookshelf for research or just some fun reading. I really love the way she describes places like the hair salon as well natural images - like pigeons. She has a lot to say about the beauty of Black culture and women as well as reflections on everyday life.
I didn't know she was visiting so many places as you explain here, and it was interesting you said drug rehab centers, because there is this beautiful film from the Robert Pinsky Project with a man from Boston who talks about this kind of influence from the poem "We Real Cool" - just a few minutes, worth a watch for any of your readers. I've showed it to endless high school students. :)
Oh, I'm so glad to have chosen one of your favourites! I hope I did her justice :) Her work is beautiful and I love it be because it speaks to the ordinary and everyday life around her but also the profundity of it all. I find that about other modernist poetry as well, such as Barabara Guest, who manage to juxtapose imagery so well, such as the example you give of the hair salon and pigeons!
Thank you for the link, I may use it in my "Afterthoughts" post on Tuesday!
I’ve never heard of Brooks, despite learning about the NAACP in school! It’s great to learn about female writers and activists from this period - and she sounds like an incredible figure. Thank you for sharing :)
It's so crazy how we often don't know about these amazing women writers, isn't it? That's one of the reasons why I started this newsletter! She was such an inspiration.
I was lucky to have been in a one-evening workshop with Gwendolyn Brooks, while taking poetry writing workshops with Alice Notley at St. Mark's Poetry Project. She had us write a poem and read our work aloud, and her presence filled up the room, as she listened and commented on what each of us had written.
This just shows how her determination has had the most amazing ripple throughout communities. Poetry is often not seen as ‘mainstream’ however the beauty of the writing is so powerful. Great piece about an incredible person. Thank you.
Thank you! Absolutely, the writing is so powerful :)
Kate, this is one of my favorite writers ever! Thanks for the great post. Her anthology of work - Blacks - is often off my bookshelf for research or just some fun reading. I really love the way she describes places like the hair salon as well natural images - like pigeons. She has a lot to say about the beauty of Black culture and women as well as reflections on everyday life.
I didn't know she was visiting so many places as you explain here, and it was interesting you said drug rehab centers, because there is this beautiful film from the Robert Pinsky Project with a man from Boston who talks about this kind of influence from the poem "We Real Cool" - just a few minutes, worth a watch for any of your readers. I've showed it to endless high school students. :)
GREAT CHOICE!
https://www.favoritepoem.org/poems/we-real-cool/
Oh, I'm so glad to have chosen one of your favourites! I hope I did her justice :) Her work is beautiful and I love it be because it speaks to the ordinary and everyday life around her but also the profundity of it all. I find that about other modernist poetry as well, such as Barabara Guest, who manage to juxtapose imagery so well, such as the example you give of the hair salon and pigeons!
Thank you for the link, I may use it in my "Afterthoughts" post on Tuesday!
Wonderful. I don’t know much about Guest and should read her work. You certainly did Brooks justice :)
I’ve never heard of Brooks, despite learning about the NAACP in school! It’s great to learn about female writers and activists from this period - and she sounds like an incredible figure. Thank you for sharing :)
It's so crazy how we often don't know about these amazing women writers, isn't it? That's one of the reasons why I started this newsletter! She was such an inspiration.
I was lucky to have been in a one-evening workshop with Gwendolyn Brooks, while taking poetry writing workshops with Alice Notley at St. Mark's Poetry Project. She had us write a poem and read our work aloud, and her presence filled up the room, as she listened and commented on what each of us had written.
Wow! That is a real memory to cherish. What an honour.
Another beautiful biography. Love reading about her life and work.
Thank you, Kathryn! Glad you enjoyed it :) Such an inspirational woman.
So very <3