June Jordan (1936–2002)
Poet, novelist, dramatist, and activist of Caribbean heritage who began her career
as part of the Black Arts Movement. She published twenty-seven books, includ-
ing Some of Us Did Not Die (2002), a collection of her highly acclaimed political
journalism. Directed by Desire: The Collected Poems of June Jordan appeared post-
humously in 2005.
Randall Kenan (1963– )
Writer who focuses on black gay life in the South. He is best known for the
novel A Visitation of Spirits (1989), the short-story collection Let the Dead Bury
Their Dead (1992), and The Fire This Time (2007), a nonfiction tribute to James
Baldwin.
Yusef Komunyakaa (pseudonym of James Willie Brown Jr., 1947– )
Poet who served in Vietnam with the United States Army from 1965 to 1967
and was awarded a Bronze Star. He received the Pulitzer Prize in 1994 for Neon
Vernacular: New & Selected Poems, 1977–1989 (1993). His other works include
Copacetic (1983), I Apologize for the Eyes in My Head (1986), Dien Cai Dau (1988),
Talking Dirty to the Gods (2001), and Pleasure Dome: New & Collected Poems,
1975–1999 (2001).
Audre Lorde (1934 –1992)
Poet and essayist whose works of poetry include The First Cities (1968), Cables to
Rage (1970), From a Land Where Other People Live (1972), New York Head Shop
and Museum (1974), The Black Unicorn (1978), The Cancer Journals (1980), Chosen
Poems, Old and New (1982), Our Dead behind Us (1986), and the National Book
Award–winning A Burst of Light (1988).
James McBride (1957– )
Memoirist and musician whose The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His
White Mother (1996) was a best seller.
Terry McMillan (1951– )
Novelist and anthologist known especially for her exploration of black women’s
friendships and romantic relationships. Her major works include Disappear-
ing Acts (1989), Waiting to Exhale (1992), How Stella Got Her Groove Back
(1996), and Breaking Ice: An Anthology of Contemporary African American Fiction
(1990).
Paule Marshall (1929– )
Poet, novelist, and recipient of a MacArthur grant. Her novels include Brown
Girl, Brownstones (1959), The Chosen Place, the Timeless People (1969), Praise-
song for the Widow (1983), and Daughters (1991); her memoir Triangular Road
appeared in 2009.
Bebe Campbell Moore (1950–2006)
Novelist, journalist, and author of children’s books, known for the best sellers
Brothers and Sisters (1994), Singing in the Comeback Choir (1998), and Your Blues
Ain’t Like Mine (1993), which was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.