Yusef Komunyakaa

Katarzyna Jakubiak (Millersville University of Pennsylvania)

Ed. by Nick Selby, University of East Anglia
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 3.2.5: African American Writing and Culture of the United States.
Vol. editors: Sofia Ahlberg (Uppsala University), Philathia Bolton (University of Akron), Patrick Chura (University of Akron), J. Michael Duvall (College of Charleston), Emory Elliott (University of California, Riverside), A Yemisi Jimoh (University of Massachusetts Amherst), Stephen E. Meats (Pittsburg State University), Tony Papanikolas (San Jose State University)

Dates

Born 29 Apr 1947
Activity 1973-ongoing

Places

Born in United States
Active in United States

Cultural Identities

African American

Activities

Primary

Playwright / Dramatist
Poet
Teacher/ Professor

Resources

Komunyakaa's Works

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Yusef Komunyakaa's ever-growing contribution to literature and culture spans – so far – fourteen books of poetry; one collection of prose writings; two plays, which tackle themes as diverse as the epic of

Gilgamesh

and the Civil Rights movement; five opera librettos with subject matter ranging from the trial of Chief Standing Bear to pitfalls of global capitalism; two edited anthologies of jazz poetry; numerous recordings of poetry-and-music projects developed in collaboration with contemporary musicians; and a treasure trove of other pieces, often challenging generic boundaries (e.g. a dialogue-essay), dispersed among literary magazines. If not a renaissance man, Yusef Komunyakaa is certainly a writer who embraces many different voices and forms of expression. The “volcanic”…

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2796 words

Citation: Jakubiak, Katarzyna. "Yusef Komunyakaa". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 March 2009 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=12204, accessed 21 November 2024.]