I continue to recognize poets during April is Poetry month. Today’s poet is Douglas Kearney, poet, performer, and librettist. He was a 2021 National Book Award for Poetry finalist for his book, Sho. Other works by Douglas Kearney:
365 Black Books Eugenia Collier Monday
Happy 98th birthday Eugenia Collier! Eugenia Collier is a writer and critic best known for her 1969 short story “Marigolds”, which won the first Gwendolyn Brooks Prize for Fiction in 1969; it was Collier’s first published story. She was born in Baltimore, Maryland. Collier’s collection, Breeder and Other Stories, was released in 1993. More of her works:
365 Black Books Booker T. Washington Sunday
Blessed heavenly birthday Booker Taliaferro Washington! Born April 5, Booker T. Washington was an educator, author, founder and first president of what is now Tuskegee University. Known for Up From Slavery, Booker T. Washington wrote several books. Here are just a few:
365 Black Books Maya Angelou Saturday
Happy heavenly birthday Dr. Maya Angelou! Born April 4, Dr. Angelou was a poet, activist, professor and more. Her iconic/classic poem, “Still I Rise”, is as relevant today as it was when it was first written and published.
365 Black Books Poetry Friday
In honor of April is Poetry month, here are just a few poetry books for and by children and young adults. Happy reading!
365 Black Books Samuel R. Delany Thursday
Also born April 1, is Samuel R. Delany, an award winning author. Although he may be known primarily for science fiction and fantasy, Samuel R. Delany writes about many subjects.
365 Black Books Jesmyn Ward Wednesday
Happy birthday Jesmyn Ward! Born April 1, 1977, Jesmyn Ward won the 2011 National Book Award for Fiction for her second novel Salvage the Bones. Other books are:
365 Black Books Michaela Angela Davis Tuesday
Happy birthday Michaela Angela Davis! Michaela Angela Davis is a writer on African-American style, race, gender and hip-hop culture in the United States. She is also a fashion expert and an “image activist.” Her memoir, Tenderheaded, tells how she view the world through the lens of race, gender, and culture.
365 Black Books Maryse Conde Monday
Born February 11, Maryse Conde was an author, scholar, and professor. She studied at Université de Paris III (Sorbonne Nouvelle), where she took her doctorate in Comparative Literature (1975) written under the direction of René Etiemble. Her research was on Black stereotypes in Caribbean literature. Her are just a few of her novels:
365 Black Books Pauline E. Hopkins Sunday
Pauline Elizabeth Hopkins was born in Portland, Maine in 1859. She was a playwright, journalist, novelist, historian, editor, feminist, public intellectual, supporter of the arts, and an outspoken crusader for African American rights. She is considered a pioneer in her use of the romantic novel to explore social and racial themes and is best known for her 1900 novel Contending Forces: A Romance of Negro Life North and South.
The CamaraIfe Maktaba 