Gwendolyn Brooks: Past American Voice

We turn to our extensive archive to present this look back at the legacy of the legendary poet Gwendolyn Brooks. The first African-American to win a Pulitzer Prize for her 1949 poetry collection, Annie Allen, Brooks went on to influence generations of poets. In this compilation made from a 1984 program and parts 1 and 2 of a 1988 interview, Brooks reads from her works, including her famous “We Real Cool” poem, and talks about her childhood, her decision to leave Harper & Row for a black publishing company, and the recognition of her own mortality.