Dove, Rita

With her third collection of poetry, Thomas and Beulah, in 1987, Rita Dove became the second African American to win the Pulitzer Prize, after Gwendolyn Brooks. In the span of 25 years, Dove has published her first book of poetry, The Yellow House on the Corner (1980); over eight poetry collections; a short story collection, Fifth Sunday (1985); a novel, Through the Ivory Gate (1992); and a play, The Darker Face of the Earth (1994). Appointed in 1993, Dove served as the U.S. Poet Laureate for two years and was reappointed as Special Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1999 for its bicentennial celebration. Her poetry encompasses a range of themes, from slavery and civil rights to ballroom dancing, and most overtly, ...