Yusef Komunyakaa

Yusef is one of the most compelling voices in American poetry. His Pulitzer Prize winning collection, Neon Vernacular, pulls together all of the most powerful strands of his poetic vision. The images are those of the South and its culture, of Black resilience to white supremacy, of war in Southeast Asia, of urban experience, and of musical forms such as blues and jazz. He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards including the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, Wallace Stevens Award, the William Faulkner Prize from the Université de Rennes, and has published dozens of books of poetry, essays, operas, and plays. Currently he serves as Distinguished Senior Poet in New York University’s graduate creative writing program.