Firsts

‘Raising hackles means you’re not being ignored; you’re pushing the conversation forward.’

Rita Dove

When I began writing about ordinary, middle-class African Americans’ lives—especially in Thomas and Beulah, my third book of poetry, which deals with a solid lifelong marriage devoid of extraordinary drama—I was keenly aware that such experiences had not received their due in contemporary poetry. Whatever I pursue—writing poetry or teaching or speaking in public—I want to be excited by the challenge, curious about where life might next lead me. If I’m not both thrilled and terrified at the prospect of stepping out into unknown territory that might teach me something new, then something is wrong, then I’m too complacent.

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