Lucille Clifton - Poets, Life Achievements and Childhood
Lucille Clifton's Personal Details
Lucille Clifton was an award winning African-American poet, writer and educator whose works focused on the lives of blacks and women
| Information | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birthday | June 27, 1936 |
| Died on | February 13, 2010 |
| Nationality | American |
| Famous | African American Authors, Black Poets, Howard University, Writers, Poets, Poets |
| Universities |
|
| Notable Alumnis |
|
| Birth Place | New York, United States |
| Gender | Female |
| Sun Sign | Cancer |
| Born in | New York, United States |
| Famous as | American poet |
| Died at Age | 73 |
// Famous Poets
Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman was an American poet, journalist and humanist. Read this brief biography to find more on his life & timeline.
Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu was an Indian freedom fighter and poet. Read this brief biography to find more on her life.
Pablo Neruda
Pablo Neruda was a Chilean poet, politician and Nobel laureate. Go through this biography to learn more about his profile, childhood, life and timeline.
Lucille Clifton's photo
Who is Lucille Clifton?
Lucille Clifton, born as Thelma Lucille Sayles, was a prolific poet and author best known for writing on themes related to African-American heritage and feminist issues. She served as the Poet Laureate of Maryland from 1979 to 1985 and won the prestigious Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize in 2007. Her style of prose was concise, free style lyrics with minimum punctuation. She found inspiration for her writings from the lifestyle, problems and challenges faced by her own family and the other African-Americans. Her poems were primarily a celebration of African-American culture and heritage. Her first book of poetry titled ‘Good Times’ published in 1969 was named as one of the best books of 1969 by the New York Times. She went on to create a highly successful book series for children, based on the life of a fictitious boy, Everett Anderson. Both her poetry and fiction dealt with common themes like human capacity for love, overcoming weaknesses, and the myth of the American dream. As the matron of a large family, she often wrote about family life, its triumphs and challenges. Her poems also reflect the process of self-discovery she underwent over a period of time as woman, daughter, sibling, wife, mother, and most importantly, a poet.
// Famous Howard University
Thomas Sowell
Thomas Sowell is an American economist, syndicated columnist, writer and social theorist. Check out this biography to know about his birthday, childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about him.
Chadwick Boseman
Chadwick Boseman is an American actor best known for his role in the flick ’42.’ Check out this biography to know about his birthday, childhood, family life, achievements, and fun facts about him.
Marjorie Lee Browne
Marjorie Lee Browne was an eminent African-American mathematician & educator. This biography profiles her childhood, life, career and timeline.
Childhood & Early Life
Lucille Sayles Clifton was born in Ney York to Samuel and Thelma Moore Sayles. Her father was a steel mill worker and her mother was a launderer who wrote poetry as a hobby. In spite of having little formal education themselves, her parents ensured that their children had access to a large number of books.
She went to Fosdick-Masten Park High School and earned a scholarship to study drama at Howard University in 1953. She met several intellectuals such as Sterling Brown, A.B.Spellman and Fred Clifton there.
She had to leave Howard in 1955 because of poor grades, and later studied at Fredonia State Teachers College (now the State University of New York at Fredonia).
Career
She worked as a claims clerk in the New York State Division of Employment from 1958 to 1960 and later as literature assistant in the U.S. Office of Education, Washington, DC where she remained till 1971.
During the 1960’s, she also started writing professionally. Her writer friend, Ishmael Reed submitted her poetry to Langston Hughes who included them in his anthology ‘Poetry of the Negro, 1746-1970’.
In 1969, she published her first collection of poetry, ‘Good Times’ which reflected the happy experiences of her childhood. The book was very well received by the readers.
She was appointed as the poet-in-residence at Coppin State College in Baltimore in 1971, a position which she held till 1974.
Her second volume of poetry, ‘Good News about the Earth’ was published in 1972. The poems reflected the social and political changes that took place in the late 1960s.
She wrote about her experience as a poet and a woman in her next poetry collection which was titled, ‘An Ordinary Woman’, published in 1974.
Along with poetry, she also wrote various books for children, which also celebrated the African-American experience and dealt with themes like love, hope, and dignity. Some of these books include: ‘Don’t you remember?’ (1973), ‘The Times They Used to be’ (1974), and ‘Amifika’ (1978).
Starting from the 1970’s, she wrote a series of children’s books about a young black boy named Everett Anderson. Each book in the series told the story of how Everett faced challenges and dealt with real life social problems.
She was made the Poet Laureate of Maryland from 1979 to 1985.
She took the position of professor of literature and creative writing at the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1985 and remained on the faculty till 1989.
Many of her later works dealt with the social and personal problems faced by women and blacks in general. She spoke of bigotry and intolerance in her 1993 poem collection ‘The Book of Light’, and discussed women’s survival skills in the face of illness and family conflicts in the books ‘The Terrible Stories’ (1996) and ‘Blessing the Boats: New and Selected Poems, 1988-2000’ (2000).
Major Works
Her first book of poetry, ‘Good Times’ (1969) which was a celebration of the African-American culture in which she grew up, created a sensation soon after being published. It was named as one of the best 10 books of the year by The New York Times.
Everett Anderson, a fictional character of a young black boy who featured in a number of her books is one of her most famous works. She wrote a series of eight Everett Anderson titles and won the Coretta Scott King Award for one of them: ‘Everett Anderson’s Goodbye’ (1984).
Her book, ‘Good Woman: Poems and a Memoir’ (1987) consisting of the reprint of her complete published poems was nominated for Pulitzer Prize in 1988.
‘Blessing the Boats: New and Selected Poems 1988–2000’ was published in 2000 and is considered one of her most poignant works. The poems reflect her views on issues like racism, illness, gender, abortion and death. Many of the poems chronicle her experience as a cancer survivor.
Awards & Achievements
In 1988, two of her poetry books, ‘Good Woman: Poems and a Memoir, 1969-1980’ (1987) and ‘Next: New Poems (1987)’ were nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, making her the first author to have two books of poetry chosen as finalists in the same year.
In 2000, she was awarded The National Book Award for Poetry for her poem collection ‘Blessing the Boats: New and Selected Poems 1988–2000’.
She won the prestigious Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize in 2007. The prize honours a living U.S. poet whose "lifetime accomplishments warrant extraordinary recognition."
Personal Life & Legacy
She married Fred James Clifton, a Philosophy professor, in 1958 and had six children. The couple was happily married till Fred’s death in 1984.
During her later years she suffered from many illnesses including cancer. She died in February 2010 at the age of 73.
Trivia
She was born with two extra fingers which were amputated surgically.
One of her ancestors was the first black woman to be legally hanged for manslaughter in the state of Virginia.
// Famous Poets
Charles Bukowski
Charles Bukowski was a German-born American novelist, short story writer and poet. With this biography, learn in details about his childhood, life, works, career and timeline
Seamus Heaney
Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney was an Irish poet, playwright and translator. Know about his profile, childhood, life and timeline in the biography below.
Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman was an American poet, journalist and humanist. Read this brief biography to find more on his life & timeline.
Lucille Clifton biography timelines
- // 27th Jun 1936Lucille Sayles Clifton was born in Ney York to Samuel and Thelma Moore Sayles. Her father was a steel mill worker and her mother was a launderer who wrote poetry as a hobby. In spite of having little formal education themselves, her parents ensured that their children had access to a large number of books.
- // 1953She went to Fosdick-Masten Park High School and earned a scholarship to study drama at Howard University in 1953. She met several intellectuals such as Sterling Brown, A.B.Spellman and Fred Clifton there.
- // 1955She had to leave Howard in 1955 because of poor grades, and later studied at Fredonia State Teachers College (now the State University of New York at Fredonia).
- // 1958 To 1971She worked as a claims clerk in the New York State Division of Employment from 1958 to 1960 and later as literature assistant in the U.S. Office of Education, Washington, DC where she remained till 1971.
- // 1958She married Fred James Clifton, a Philosophy professor, in 1958 and had six children. The couple was happily married till Fred’s death in 1984.
- // 1969In 1969, she published her first collection of poetry, ‘Good Times’ which reflected the happy experiences of her childhood. The book was very well received by the readers.
- // 1971 To 1974She was appointed as the poet-in-residence at Coppin State College in Baltimore in 1971, a position which she held till 1974.
- // 1972Her second volume of poetry, ‘Good News about the Earth’ was published in 1972. The poems reflected the social and political changes that took place in the late 1960s.
- // 1974She wrote about her experience as a poet and a woman in her next poetry collection which was titled, ‘An Ordinary Woman’, published in 1974.
- // 1979 To 1985She was made the Poet Laureate of Maryland from 1979 to 1985.
- // 1985 To 1989She took the position of professor of literature and creative writing at the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1985 and remained on the faculty till 1989.
- // 1988In 1988, two of her poetry books, ‘Good Woman: Poems and a Memoir, 1969-1980’ (1987) and ‘Next: New Poems (1987)’ were nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, making her the first author to have two books of poetry chosen as finalists in the same year.
- // 2000In 2000, she was awarded The National Book Award for Poetry for her poem collection ‘Blessing the Boats: New and Selected Poems 1988–2000’.
- // 2007She won the prestigious Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize in 2007. The prize honours a living U.S. poet whose "lifetime accomplishments warrant extraordinary recognition."
- // 13th Feb 2010During her later years she suffered from many illnesses including cancer. She died in February 2010 at the age of 73.
// Famous Black Poets
Gwendolyn Brooks
Gwendolyn Brooks was the first African-American poet to win the Pulitzer Prize. Read on to know more about her profile, childhood, life and timeline.
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou was a famous writer, activist, singer, and actor, known best for her autobiography, ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’. Read on for detailed information about his childhood, profile, career and timeline
Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes was an African-American poet who made significant contributions to the Harlem Renaissance. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family life, achievements and other facts about his life.
James Baldwin
James Baldwin was an American writer and social critic, best known for his debut novel, ‘Go Tell It on the Mountain’. This biography of James Baldwin provides detailed information about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline
Robert Hayden
Robert Hayden was an American poet who wrote the famous poem, “Those Winter Sundays”. Read more about him and his significant works in the following article.
James Weldon Johnson
James Weldon Johnson is credited with lot of firsts in his lifetime. Explore this biography to know more about his childhood, life & timeline.
Lucille Clifton's FAQ
What is Lucille Clifton birthday?
Lucille Clifton was born at 1936-06-27
When was Lucille Clifton died?
Lucille Clifton was died at 2010-02-13
Which age was Lucille Clifton died?
Lucille Clifton was died at age 73
Where is Lucille Clifton's birth place?
Lucille Clifton was born in New York, United States
What is Lucille Clifton nationalities?
Lucille Clifton's nationalities is American
What was Lucille Clifton universities?
Lucille Clifton studied at Howard University
What was Lucille Clifton notable alumnis?
Lucille Clifton's notable alumnis is Howard University
What is Lucille Clifton's sun sign?
Lucille Clifton is Cancer
How famous is Lucille Clifton?
Lucille Clifton is famouse as American poet