I Am the Darker Brother - by Arnold Adoff (Paperback)

About the Book

First published in 1968, this anthology was one of the first collections of African American poetry specifically created with the young reader in mind. Along with selections from Langston Hughes and Gwendolyn Brooks, this newly updated version features poems by such contemporary poets as Maya Angelou, Ishmael Reed, Rita Dove, and others. This is a comprehensive reflection of the African-American voice and culture. Young Adult.

Book Synopsis

This honest and poignant young adult poetry collection addresses many different experiences of what it means to be black.

The quintessential African American, a proud, lonely, vulnerable yet independent human being who has forged out of hardship that combination of endurance, understanding, and spirit called soul. This illustrated book collects poems by Langston Hughes, Mari Evans, Gwendolyn Brooks, Robert Hayden, and many more.

About the Author

Arnold Adoff is an American children's writer. In 1988, the National Council of Teachers of English gave Adoff the Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. He has said, "I will always try to turn sights and sounds into words. I will always try to shape words into my singing poems."

Benny Andrews (1930-2006) was an American artist, activist and educator. Born in Plainview, Georgia, Andrews earned a BFA in painting from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1958, and soon after moved to New York. He was known for his expressive, figurative paintings that often incorporated collaged fabric and other material.