(DeKalb) – For many decades, Gwendolyn Brooks has been known and remembered as being one of the strongest and most decorated poets in the history of Chicago. She was the first African American woman inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1976, and the first African American winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1950 for her book, Annie Allen. She was appointed lifelong Poet Laureate of Illinois in 1968, the U.S. Poet Laureate from 1985 to 1986, winner of the Robert Frost Medal in 1989 and winner of the National Medal of Arts in 1995.
Join us at the DeKalb Public Library on Thursday, February 19, for a look at the poetry of Brooks.
From her early years growing up in the Bronzeville neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago to her being awarded the Order of Lincoln in 1997 and the Academy of American Poets Fellowship for distinguished poetic achievement in 1999 until her death on December 3, 2000, aged 83, we will discuss the many milestones of her life’s achievements and her endearing contributions to the field of poetry.
This program is free and intended for teens and adults. No registration is required. It will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the lower-level Zimmerman Meeting Room.
This event is part of the America 250 initiative; celebrating our nation throughout the year.
For additional information, please contact Tom at (815) 756-9568 ext. 2150 or thomask@dkpl.org.
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