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A Surprised Queenhood in the New Black Sun: The Life & Legacy of Gwendolyn Brooks
A look back at the cultural and political force of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Gwendolyn Brooks, in celebration of her hundredth birthday
Artist-Rebel-Pioneer Pulitzer-Prize winning poet Gwendolyn Brooks is one of the great American literary icons of the twentieth century, a protege of Langston Hughes and mentor to a generation of poets, including Sonia Sanchez, Nikki Giovanni, and Elizabeth Alexander.
Her poetry took inspiration from the complex portraits of black American life she observed growing up on Chicago's Southside—a world of kitchenette apartments and vibrant streets. From the desk in her bedroom, as a child she filled countless notebooks with poetry, encouraged by the likes of Hughes and affirmed by Richard Wright, who called her work "raw and real."
Over the next sixty years, Brooks's poetry served as witness to the stark realities of urban life: the evils of lynching, the murders of Emmett Till and Malcolm X, the revolutionary effects of the civil rights movement, and the burgeoning power of the Black Arts Movement. Critical acclaim and the distinction in 1950 as the first black person ever awarded a Pulitzer Prize helped solidify Brooks as a unique and powerful voice.
Now, in A Surprised Queenhood in the New Black Sun, fellow Chicagoan and award-winning writer Angela Jackson delves deep into the rich fabric of Brooks's work and world. Granted unprecedented access to Brooks's family, personal papers, and writing community, Jackson traces the literary arc of this artist's long career and gives context for the world in which Brooks wrote and published her work. It is a powerfully intimate look at a once-in-a-lifetime talent up close, using forty-three of Brooks's most soul-stirring poems as a guide.
From trying to fit in at school ("Forgive and Forget"), to loving her physical self ("To Those of My Sisters Who Kept Their Naturals"), to marriage and motherhood ("Maud Martha"), to young men on her block ("We Real Cool"), to breaking history ("Medgar Evers"), to newfound acceptance from her community and her elevation to a "surprising queenhood" ("The Wall"), Brooks lived life through her work.
Jackson deftly unpacks it all for both longtime admirers of Brooks and newcomers curious about her interior life. A Surprised Queenhood in the New Black Sun is a commemoration of a writer who negotiated black womanhood and incomparable brilliance with a changing, restless world—an artistic maverick way ahead of her time.
Artist-Rebel-Pioneer Pulitzer-Prize winning poet Gwendolyn Brooks is one of the great American literary icons of the twentieth century, a protege of Langston Hughes and mentor to a generation of poets, including Sonia Sanchez, Nikki Giovanni, and Elizabeth Alexander.
Her poetry took inspiration from the complex portraits of black American life she observed growing up on Chicago's Southside—a world of kitchenette apartments and vibrant streets. From the desk in her bedroom, as a child she filled countless notebooks with poetry, encouraged by the likes of Hughes and affirmed by Richard Wright, who called her work "raw and real."
Over the next sixty years, Brooks's poetry served as witness to the stark realities of urban life: the evils of lynching, the murders of Emmett Till and Malcolm X, the revolutionary effects of the civil rights movement, and the burgeoning power of the Black Arts Movement. Critical acclaim and the distinction in 1950 as the first black person ever awarded a Pulitzer Prize helped solidify Brooks as a unique and powerful voice.
Now, in A Surprised Queenhood in the New Black Sun, fellow Chicagoan and award-winning writer Angela Jackson delves deep into the rich fabric of Brooks's work and world. Granted unprecedented access to Brooks's family, personal papers, and writing community, Jackson traces the literary arc of this artist's long career and gives context for the world in which Brooks wrote and published her work. It is a powerfully intimate look at a once-in-a-lifetime talent up close, using forty-three of Brooks's most soul-stirring poems as a guide.
From trying to fit in at school ("Forgive and Forget"), to loving her physical self ("To Those of My Sisters Who Kept Their Naturals"), to marriage and motherhood ("Maud Martha"), to young men on her block ("We Real Cool"), to breaking history ("Medgar Evers"), to newfound acceptance from her community and her elevation to a "surprising queenhood" ("The Wall"), Brooks lived life through her work.
Jackson deftly unpacks it all for both longtime admirers of Brooks and newcomers curious about her interior life. A Surprised Queenhood in the New Black Sun is a commemoration of a writer who negotiated black womanhood and incomparable brilliance with a changing, restless world—an artistic maverick way ahead of her time.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published May 30, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 23, 2022
An interesting book about an important poet.
In addition to being a fine poet, Brooks was active over the course of decades in black freedom movements, at first as a supporter of integration and later as someone committed to developing black writers and black audiences. She was generous with time and money, as well as words of encouragement in supporting young black writers.
Brooks was a Chicago-based poet: born in Chicago, she remained faithful to her city throughout her life. She showed her talent young and it was strongly supported and nurtured by her loving mother (a former teacher) and adoring father. She married young, had children--and still managed to keep writing.
I have mixed feelings about this book. The style varies from straightforward to an almost over-the-top enthusiasm. The balance between discussions of Brooks' work and that of her life are very uneven. And I was surprised when the author suddenly inserted herself into the text--not that it's a problem but it seems to happen rather late in the work and I felt unprepared for the technique.
On the whole, however, a very readable book of a great poet with lots of quotes from the poems which I appreciated.
In addition to being a fine poet, Brooks was active over the course of decades in black freedom movements, at first as a supporter of integration and later as someone committed to developing black writers and black audiences. She was generous with time and money, as well as words of encouragement in supporting young black writers.
Brooks was a Chicago-based poet: born in Chicago, she remained faithful to her city throughout her life. She showed her talent young and it was strongly supported and nurtured by her loving mother (a former teacher) and adoring father. She married young, had children--and still managed to keep writing.
I have mixed feelings about this book. The style varies from straightforward to an almost over-the-top enthusiasm. The balance between discussions of Brooks' work and that of her life are very uneven. And I was surprised when the author suddenly inserted herself into the text--not that it's a problem but it seems to happen rather late in the work and I felt unprepared for the technique.
On the whole, however, a very readable book of a great poet with lots of quotes from the poems which I appreciated.
August 21, 2018
Pulitzer-Prize winning poet Gwendolyn Brooks is one of the great American literary icons of the twentieth century, a protege of Langston Hughes and mentor to a generation of poets, including Sonia Sanchez, Nikki Giovanni, and Elizabeth Alexander.
Her poetry took inspiration from the complex portraits of black American life she observed growing up on Chicago's Southside--a world of kitchenette apartments and vibrant streets. From the desk in her bedroom, as a child she filled countless notebooks with poetry, encouraged by the likes of Hughes and affirmed by Richard Wright, who called her work "raw and real."
Her poetry took inspiration from the complex portraits of black American life she observed growing up on Chicago's Southside--a world of kitchenette apartments and vibrant streets. From the desk in her bedroom, as a child she filled countless notebooks with poetry, encouraged by the likes of Hughes and affirmed by Richard Wright, who called her work "raw and real."
December 30, 2017
I read A Surprised Queenhood in the New Black Sun with the expectation of learning about Gwendolyn Brooks and I wasn’t disappointed. Ms. Jackson recalls the events of Miss. Brooks’ life through her artistry. Set in Chicago, Gwendolyn Brooks grew up in a home that nurtured her talent. The Brooks were not a wealthy family, but that did not stop them from encouraging Miss. Brooks to write. Her talent was God given and she also attended school, though she was not classically trained as a writer. What appealed to me the most was Miss. Brooks’ legacy of paying it forward. She always made time for the young poets of the next generation. She encouraged and challenged them to be their best. I also admire Miss. Brooks’ willingness to move beyond mainstream acceptance to celebrate and love self and community. My reason for three stars is I felt the book could have been edited for grammar. I don’t think sentence fragments belong in non fiction work. That flaw aside, I think this book is a great introduction to Gwendolyn Brooks. I’m 37 and her poetry wasn’t taught in my required high school English classes, though I had some exposure in an African American Literature class (we real cool). I’ve never been a poetry fan, but I want to read Annie Allen to build upon what I’ve read.
April 11, 2023
This book feels more like hero worship than biography. There’s no denying Gwendolyn Brooks is a hero and Angela Jackson shows us how warm, courageous and generous Brooks was with her gifts. And how staunch she was in speaking up for the Black community. I also enjoyed Jackson’s descriptions of Brooks’ encounter with a frenzied and domineering Susan Sontag, and the way Brooks taught poetry classes and guided young poets - “Try telling the reader a little less. He’ll, she’ll love you more.”
Brooks’ advice may be perfect for poets, but it’s not ideal for biographers and that was my major frustration with this book. There are gaping holes. What were the disruptions in Brooks’ marriage? How did she manage to juggle being a Pulitzer Prize winning poet and a wife and mother? Jackson writes “Gwendolyn was a working mother who had it all… This is not to say that she did not struggle between motherhood and writing.” I think we’ve upended the myth that anyone “has it all” and since Brooks’ marriage was rocky and she and her son were estranged for years, it seems unlikely that Brooks' life was as perfect as “having it all” implies. Jackson gives us a paragraph on the topic that must have consumed decades of Brooks’ life.
I had the sense that Jackson didn’t want to intrude too much or damage what she aptly calls the “elegant normalcy” of Brooks’ demeanor. But as Jackson tells us, Brooks once wrote, “Think how many fascinating documents there would be now, if all the great poets had written of what happened to them personally - and the thoughts that occurred to them, no matter how ugly…fantastic… seemingly ridiculous.” Jackson doesn’t share with us Brooks’ less lofty, more human thoughts.
Brooks does seem to have had a dignified and well-mannered facade that protected her from intrusion, and Angela Jackson respects that persona, but we miss some of the the beauty and awesomeness of the life Brooks lived. As Jackson tells us, Brooks was a healer. Her work - poetry, outreach, teaching - healed both herself and the Black community. That’s something to celebrate and honor, but it would not be diminishing to see that she also struggled. It makes her human and shows that struggle and triumph go hand in hand.
Brooks’ advice may be perfect for poets, but it’s not ideal for biographers and that was my major frustration with this book. There are gaping holes. What were the disruptions in Brooks’ marriage? How did she manage to juggle being a Pulitzer Prize winning poet and a wife and mother? Jackson writes “Gwendolyn was a working mother who had it all… This is not to say that she did not struggle between motherhood and writing.” I think we’ve upended the myth that anyone “has it all” and since Brooks’ marriage was rocky and she and her son were estranged for years, it seems unlikely that Brooks' life was as perfect as “having it all” implies. Jackson gives us a paragraph on the topic that must have consumed decades of Brooks’ life.
I had the sense that Jackson didn’t want to intrude too much or damage what she aptly calls the “elegant normalcy” of Brooks’ demeanor. But as Jackson tells us, Brooks once wrote, “Think how many fascinating documents there would be now, if all the great poets had written of what happened to them personally - and the thoughts that occurred to them, no matter how ugly…fantastic… seemingly ridiculous.” Jackson doesn’t share with us Brooks’ less lofty, more human thoughts.
Brooks does seem to have had a dignified and well-mannered facade that protected her from intrusion, and Angela Jackson respects that persona, but we miss some of the the beauty and awesomeness of the life Brooks lived. As Jackson tells us, Brooks was a healer. Her work - poetry, outreach, teaching - healed both herself and the Black community. That’s something to celebrate and honor, but it would not be diminishing to see that she also struggled. It makes her human and shows that struggle and triumph go hand in hand.
February 11, 2023
I thought the poetical analysis of Brooks' poems was very insightful, and I gained a new appreciation of how she stayed relevant by encouraging young writers. At the same time, there wasn't enough of her personal life to give more personality to the book. Why was she estranged from her son for so long? What was it like having a mother who was such a large figure on the Chicago literary scene? I would loved to hear more from the students she mentored. I thought that the pieces described showed how Brooks was able to translate intimate moments into poetry that was universal-a mark of a great writer.
Some of the participants in the book group thought that it was a "rah, rah" piece and that there wasn't enough background context of the history she was a part of; they also thought that some of the author's writing was repetitive and felt a little lifeless.
Some of the participants in the book group thought that it was a "rah, rah" piece and that there wasn't enough background context of the history she was a part of; they also thought that some of the author's writing was repetitive and felt a little lifeless.
July 13, 2017
English teachers and fans of Gwendolyn Brooks will enjoy this take on the poet's evolution as a writer. The author blends details of Brooks's life with critical views of her poetry and carefully notes the significant shifts in Brooks's content and form. I have a much greater appreciation of Brooks as a writer and literary activist as a result of this reading and am looking forward to teaching a selection of her works this fall.
December 5, 2017
Gwendolyn Brooks was a champion of Blacks, women, and her craft and her work still resonates today. I performed her prose and poems in high school in our Reader's Theatre. I appreciate learning about her life.
April 28, 2018
This book pays homage to Gwendolyn Brooks, Pulitzer Prize winner, poet extraordinaire, advocate, and mentor to many powerful voices in the Chicago Black literary scene from the late 1930s through the rise of rap. I learned a lot about her life and the America that influenced her writing.
November 30, 2020
It's clear that the author is a poet and not a historian and her dreamy language wo for the 1st part of the biography. But she she gets lost in minutiae as she moves forward with time and loses her narrative
September 2, 2017
Much more interpretation of her poetry than a biography. Still it was interesting.
September 25, 2017
Collection of writings about her works, more so than about her.
September 13, 2018
If I ever teach English again, I'll be using this book, or at least Brooks' poetry. It was dense, written beautifully, and gave me a new and greater appreciation for Ms. Brooks.
January 16, 2021
What an absolute delight. I enjoyed this book for it’s inspiring and celebratory point of view.
Gwendolyn Brooks was amazing at what she did.
Thank you, Mrs. Brooks. Thank you.
Gwendolyn Brooks was amazing at what she did.
Thank you, Mrs. Brooks. Thank you.
September 6, 2024
Fantastic short(ish) biography of Pulitzer Prize winning poet Gwendolyn Brooks. I learned so much about her life and context. Great introduction and more accessible than some longer bios.
March 12, 2025
It was satisfying to learn about Gwendolyn Brooks but I wish the author of this book was better at writing her story.
April 5, 2019
Loved the combination of the interpretation of Ms. Brooks's poetry, and the overview of her life. Growing up, we had a picture of her in our hallway, but I didn't know much beyond the basic facts. What an amazing life and an amazing woman!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews