Lucille Clifton is an award-winning poet and young audience writer who says, “The proper subject matter for poetry is life.” Since her 1969 debut, Good Times, Clifton has published 12 books of poetry, an autobiography and 19 children’s books, exploring topics from race and family to spirituality and womanhood. She won the 2000 National Book Award for Blessing the Boats and was nominated three times for the Pulitzer Prize. She served as Poet Laureate for the state of Maryland for 10 years.


photo credit: Michael S. Glaser

You can order New and Selected Poems: 1988-2000 from Powell’s Books.