poetic BIRTHDAY

CLAUDE MCKAY was born in Sunny Ville, Jamaica on September 15, 1889.  His love for his island home inspired his first two books of poetry which were published in 1912. Most of these poems were in Jamaican dialect.

MCKAY'S best-known poems are militant and angry sonnets which urges people to fight against injustice.

In 1922 MCKAY published his most important collection of poems, Harlem Shadows. These poems express Black America's mood of desperation and defiance.

MCKAY was also a writer who wrote novels. His novel Home to Harlem, published in 1928, was the first best-seller by a Black author and won the Harmon Foundation Gold Medal Award for Literature.

MCKAY died in 1948.

For a bio and a sampling of his poetry and writings GOOGLE his name

sonia sanchez - a living legend SEPT 9, 1934

SONIA SANCHEZ is a living legend in  poetry.  She was born on September 9, 1934. Her work strongly uses urban Black vernacular. This is SANCHEZ telling the truth by using the language, dialect, and idioms of the people.

SANCHEZ  specifically directs her poetry to Black people, concentrating on themes of identity and pride. Throughout her work she has affirmed the value of strong family relationships and lashed out against all forms of racism, sexism, and ignorance. HONOR A LIVING LEGEND!

For more biographical info and a sampling of books and poetry GOOGLE her name.

challenge twenty-eight

WRITE A POEM USING SEVERAL OF THE WORDS FROM A GAME OF SCRABBLE.