Angela Jackson > Quotes

“The rarely anthologized poem, here excerpted, is important for three reasons: One, in it, Gwendolyn does not stand as the poet but responds as a woman in a community, as drylongso herself, the everyday black person. Or so it would seem. Two, the poet does not decorate her diction but uses rather ordinary speech, the language of the everyday. Three, Gwendolyn addresses a crucial social issue that is still, unfortunately, at a critical point—black fratricide. “The Boy Died in My Alley” resonates today. Even more so than it did at the time it was written. Gwendolyn was a poet who spoke on matters timely and timeless.”
― Angela Jackson, A Surprised Queenhood in the New Black Sun: The Life & Legacy of Gwendolyn Brooks

“In summer of 1969, Gwendolyn gave four thousand dollars to send two young black writers to Africa for their enrichment. It pleased her to impact their lives in this way. She gave freely to those in need. Some worried that people would take advantage of her goodness, but others who knew her better knew that she was not naïve. Gwendolyn understood that in giving, we receive. Even today, she symbolizes a model of public and private generosity for artists and citizens.”
― Angela Jackson, A Surprised Queenhood in the New Black Sun: The Life & Legacy of Gwendolyn Brooks