美国名人女诗人格温多琳·布鲁克斯.docx

美国名人女诗人格温多琳布鲁克斯GwendolynBrooksz1917-2000:ThePoetwastheFirstAfricanAmericantoWinaPulitzerPrizeforLiteratureplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:05repeatByCynthiaKirk2008-5-17VOICEONE:mShirleyGriffith.VOICETWO:AndmSarahLongwiththeVOASpecialEnglishprogram,PEOPLEINAMERICA.Todaywetellaboutthelifeofaward-winningpoetGwendolynBrooks.ShewasthefirstAfricanAmericantowinaPulitzerPrizeforLiterature.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:GwendolynBrooksGwendolynBrookswrotehundredsofpoemsduringherlifetime.Shehadmorethantwentybookspublished.ShewasknownaroundtheworldforusingpoetrytoincreaseunderstandingaboutblackcultureinAmerica.GwendolynBrookswrotemanypoemsaboutbeingblackduringthenineteenfortiesandnineteenfifties.Herpoemsdescribedconditionsamongthepoor,racialinequalityanddruguseintheblackcommunity.Shealsowrotepoemsaboutthestrugglesofblackwomen.Butherskillwasmorethanherabilitytowriteaboutstrugglingblackpeople.Shewasanexpertatthelanguageofpoetry.ShecombinedtraditionalEuropeanpoetrystyleswiththeAfricanAmericanexperience.VOICETWO:GwendolynBrooksoncesaidthatshewroteaboutwhatshesawandheardinthestreet.Shesaidshefoundmostofhermateriallookingoutofthewindowofhersecond-floorapartmenthouseinChicago,Illinois.Inherearlypoetry,GwendolynBrookswroteabouttheSouthSideofChicago.TheSouthSideofChicagoiswheremanyblackpeoplelive.Inherpoems,theSouthSideiscalledBronzeville.Itwas"AStreetinBronzeville"thatgainedtheattentionofliteraryexpertsinnineteenforty-five.Criticspraisedherpoeticskillandherpowerfuldescriptionsabouttheblackexperienceduringthetime.TheBronzevillepoemswereherfirstpublishedcollection.Heresheisreadingfromhernineteenforty-fivecollection,"AStreetinBronzeville."GWENDOLYNBROOKS:"Myfather,itissurelyablueplaceandstraight.Right,regular,whereIshallfindnoneedforscholarlynonchalanceorlooksalittletotheleftorguardsupontheheart."VOICEONE:Innineteenfifty,GwendolynBrooksbecamethefirstAfricanAmericantowinthePulitzerPrizeforLiterature.Shewontheprizeforhersecondbookofpoemscalled"AnnieAlien.'*"AnnieAllen"isacollectionofpoetryaboutthelifeofaBronzevillegirlasadaughter,awifeandmother.Sheexperiencesloneliness,loss,deathandbeingpoor.MizBrookssaidthatwinningtheprizechangedherlife.Hernextworkwasanovelwritteninnineteenfifty-threecalled"MaudMartha.""MaudMartha"receivedlittlenoticewhenitfirstwaspublished.Butnowitisconsideredanimportantworkbysomecritics.Itsmainideasaboutthedifficultlifeofmanywomenarepopularamongfemalewriterstoday.VOICETWO:GwendolynBrookswrotepoemsabouttheblackexperienceinAmerica.Shedescribedtheangermanyblackshadaboutracialinjusticeandthefeelingofbeingdifferent.Sheusedpoetrytocriticizethosewhodidnotshowrespectforthepoor.Yetforalltheangerinherwriting,GwendolynBrookswasconsideredbymanytobeagentlespiritandaverygivingperson.Bytheearlynineteensixties,MizBrookshadreachedahighpointinherwritingcareer.ShewasconsideredoneofAmerica'sleadingblackwriters.Shewasapopularteacher.Shewaspraisedforheruseoflanguageandthewaypeopleidentifiedwithherwriting.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:GwendolynBrookswasborninTopeka,Kansasinnineteenseventeen.ButshegrewupinChicago.Shebeganwritingwhenshewaselevenyearsold.ShemailedseveralpoemstoacommunitynewspaperinChicagotosurpriseherfamily.Inaradiobroadcastinnineteensixty-onezMizBrookssaidhermotherurgedhertodevelopherpoeticskills:GWENDOLYNBROOKS:"MymothertookmetothelibrarywhenIwasaboutfourorfive.IenjoyedreadingpoetryandItriedtowriteitwhenIwasaboutseven,atthetimethatIfirsttriedtoputrhymestogether.AndIhavelovediteversince."VOICETWO:GwendolynBrooksmarriedHenryL.Blakelyinnineteenthirty-nine.HenryBlakelywasayoungwriterwholaterpublishedhisownpoetry.TheylivedinChicagoforthenextthirtyyears,divorcedinnineteensixty-ninezbutre-unitedinnineteenseventy-three.Theyhadtwochildren,NoraBrooksBlakelyandHenryBlakely.Throughoutherlife,MizBrookssupportedherselfthroughspeakingappearances,poetryreadingsandpart-timeteachingincolleges.Shealsoreceivedmoneyfromorganizationsthatofferedgrantsdesignedtosupportthearts.VOICEONE:OneofGwendolynBrooks'smostfamouspoemsiscalled"WeRealCool".Itisashortpoemthattalksaboutyoungpeoplefeelinghopeless:Werealcool.We1.eftschool.We1.urklate.WeStrikestraight.WeSingsin.WeThingin.WeJazzJune.WeDiesoon.VOICETWO:Bytheendofthenineteensixties,GwendolynBrooks'spoetryexpandedfromtheeverydayexperiencesofpeopleinBronzeville.Shewroteaboutawiderworldanddealtwithimportantpoliticalissues.Shewonpraiseforhersharper,real-lifepoeticstyle.GwendolynBrookswasaffectedbythecivilrightsstrugglesandsocialchangestakingplaceinAmerica.Shebegantoquestionherrelationswithwhites.Shesaidshefeltthatblackpoetsshouldwriteforblackpeople.Thatbecameevidentinhernextcollectionofpoetryinnineteensixty-eightcalled"IntheMecca."CriticssuggestedMizBrookshadbecometoopoliticalandseemedtobewritingonlyforblackpeople.Hernewpoemsreceivedlittlenoticeinthepress.VOICEONE:Insomeofherpoems,GwendolynBrooksdescribedhowwhatpeopleseeinlifeisaffectedbywhotheyare.Oneexampleisthispoem,"CornersontheCurvingSky":Ourearthisround,and,amongotherthingsThatmeansthatyouandIcanholdcompletelydifferentPointsofviewandbothberight.ThedifferenceofourpositionswillshowStarsinyourwindow.Icannotevenimagine.Yourskymayburnwithlight,Whilemine,atthesamemoment,Spreadsbeautifultodarkness.Still,wemustchoosehowweseparatelycornerThecirclinguniverseofourexperienceOncechosen,ourcorneringwilldetermineThemessageofanystaranddarknessweencounter.VOICETWO:Althoughherpoetrydidnotreceivemuchnoticeinthepress,GwendolynBrookscontinuedtoreceivehonors.ShewaschosenpoetlaureateofthestateofIllinoisinnineteensixty-eight.Innineteenseventy-six,shebecamethefirstblackwomantobeelectedtotheNationalInstituteofArtsandLetters.ShereceivedalifetimeachievementawardfromtheNationalEndowmentfortheArtsinnineteeneighty-nine.Andshewasnamedthenineteenninety-fourJeffersonLecturerbytheNationalEndowmentfortheHumanities.Thatisthehighesthonorgivenbythefederalgovernmentforworkinthehumanities.MizBrooksoncesaidthatofalltheawardsshereceived,therewasonlyonethatmeantalottoher.ItwasgiventoherataworkshopinanoldtheaterinChicago.Shesaid:"Iwasgivenanawardforjustbeingme,andthat'swhatpoetryistome-justbeingme."VOICEONE:Althoughshewaswellknown,GwendolynBrookslivedaquietlife.Shesaidhergreatestinterestwasbeinginvolvedwithyoungpeople.Shespenttimegivingreadingsatschools,prisonsandhospitals.ShealsoattendedyearlypoetrycompetitionsforChicagochildren.Sheoftenpaidfortheawardsgiventothewinners.HakiMadhubutidirectstheGwendolynBrooksCenterforCreativeWritingandBlackLiteratureatChicagoStateUniversity.HesaidMizBrooksfeltchildrenwouldhelpleadthewaytowardhealingthewoundsoftheUnitedStatescivilrightsmovementofthenineteensixties.OneyoungstudenttalkedabouthowMizBrooks'spoetryaffectedher.ShesaidthatGwendolynBrooks'swritingsinfluencedhertowritedownhowshetrulyfeltdeepinside.VOICETWO:GwendolynBrooksinfluencedmanyAfricanAmericanwriters.Friendssayherprize-winningworksalsohelpedotherblackAmericanstodeveloptheirownsenseofidentityandculture.DoctorsdiscoveredMizBrookshadcancerinNovember;twothousand.ShediedDecemberthirdatherhomeinChicago.Shewaseighty-three.ThefuneralservicewasheldontheSouthSide,thesameareaofthecitythathadbeenawindowformuchofMizBrooks'spoetry.Theservicewasattimesfilledwithlaughter.Therewerewarmremembrancesofawomanwhoselifeandwordshadtouchedpeopleforever.Africandrumssoundedanddancersleaped.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:ThisSpecialEnglishprogramwaswrittenandproducedbyCynthiaKirk.mShirleyGriffith.VOICETWO:AndmSarahLong.JoinusagainnextweekforanotherPEOPLEINAMERICAprogramontheVoiceofAmerica.