The+poet.mf

=Biography of Lucille Clifton:=

Lucille Clifton was born to Samuel L. and Thelma Moore Sayles on June 27, 1936 in Depew, New York. At age 16, Clifton began college at Howard University, although she later transferred to the Fredonia State Teachers College in 1955. In 1958, she married Fred James Clifton and got a job as a clerk and assistant in the state and federal governments. Clifton originally wanted to become an actress, majoring in drama-related studies. However, her talent for poetry was soon exposed after she won a contest, with the award being a published book. This book of poems, //Good Times //, was voted one of the best literary works of the year by //The New York Times // in 1969. Soon after, Clifton started writing children’s books specifically for the black community, including //The Blacks BC's // and //Some of the Days of Everett Anderson //. Lucille Clifton went on to publish many more collections of poetry and win a dozen awards and prizes (including an Emmy) for her work as poet in the United States. She served as the Poet Laureate of Maryland, and is currently a Distinguished Professor of Humanities at St. Mary's College of Maryland. Clifton's poetry is different from what one might usually see--especially at the time it was written--having been influenced by her upbringing as an African-American, the history of her race, and the stories of those around her. As once said by a biographer, "In many ways her themes are traditional: she writes of her family because she is greatly interested in making sense of their lives and relationships; she writes of adversity and success in the ghetto community; and she writes of her role as a poet." In this way, Clifton's style has often been described as storytelling, although she does so in a different way than might be expected. Her lack of punctuation and often short, broken lines convey ideas more strongly than they might have been otherwise. She reminds us of our past, but also points towards the future through messages of sorrow, but also of hope. Lucille Clifton has influenced many modern poets, and is still writing poetry appealing to all ages.


 * Sources**:
 * "Lucille Clifton." //Poetry Foundation//. N.p., 2009. Web. 28 Nov. 2009. .
 * "Lucille Clifton." //Poets.org//. Academy of American Poets, 2009. Web. 28 Nov. 2009. .
 * Moody, Jocelyn K. "About Lucille Clifton." //The Oxford Companion to African// //American Literature//. Oxford UP, 1997. //Modern American Poetry//. Web. 28 Nov. 2009. .

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