Lucille Clifton

Lucille Clifton (1936–2010) was an American poet, writer, and teacher. She was Poet Laureate of Maryland from 1979 to 1985, and her awards included the Juniper Prize for Poetry, the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, the National Book Award, two nominations for the Pulitzer Prize in poetry, an Emmy Award from the American Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts. Lucille Clifton is known for her themes of family, community, politics, womanhood, the spirit, and the African American experience.