Gwendolyn Brooks is a woman of brilliant
contradictions. On Thursday, June 7th the Library of Congress
celebrated the Pulitzer prize-winning poet’s birthday at an event that seemed
to capture the essence of Brooks. Her work was serious but jocular, acerbic but
placid. Presenter and poet Kyle Dargan said aptly that she has a magical way of
being “dark and funny.” The compelling thing about Brooks’ work, is the way her
incongruities thread together into one unyielding knot. In “We Real Cool” the
poet manages to both condemn and identify with her subjects. Dargan informed
audience members that the she crafted what is considered by many to be her most
famous piece, after spotting a crowd of kids in a pool hall and wondering “how
they feel about themselves.” In eight short lines the poet has not only created
a voice for her subjects and established a smooth, jazzy rhythm, she has also
instigated thoughts relating to authority, society and youth.
Poet
and children’s librarian Janice Harrington gave profound insights into Brooks’
work and the intention behind it.
“Gwendolyn Brooks was of the mind that we are all each other’s
business,” Harrington said. She went on to imply that Brooks’ poetry tries, in
many ways, to show the importance of taking care of one another. From A Street in Bronzeville and Annie Allen to Maud Martha Brooks
provides insights into an eclectic group of characters. Her work travels from
“the hood” to Beveley Hills and back. Her poems, as Harrington said, “examine
the dignity of people,” despite the neighborhood in which they live. With
cadence and audacity Gwendolyn Brooks, as Harrington stated, used “her words as
instruments of hope.”
Want more on Brooks? Check out Haki R Madhubuti's book:
Honoring Genius Gwendolyn Brooks: The Narrative of Craft, Art, Kindness and Justice
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