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Gwendolyn
Brooks (1917- ) was born in Topeka,
Kansas, but for most of her life, she has
been associated with Chicago, especially with
its large African American population. Skilled
in many different kinds of poetry, Brooks
writes with both formal elegance and with an
ear for the natural speech rhythms of the people
of Chicago's South Side. In an interview, Brooks
answered questions about her work:
Q.
Why do you write poetry?
A.
I like the concentration, the crush; I like working with language, as
others like working with paints and clay or notes. |
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Q.
Does much of your poetry have a racial element?
A.
Yes. It is organic, not imposed. It is my privilege to state
"Negroes" not as curios but as people.
Q.
What is your poet's premise (basic principle)?
A.
"Vivify the contemporary fact", said Whitman. I like to vivify the
universal fact, when it occurs to me. But the universal wears
contemporary clothing very well.
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