LUCILLE CLIFTON was one of a generation of black artists and writers who broke away from Euro-centric models to rediscover and honor African-American oral traditions. Often using her own family history as a resource (Her great-great grandmother was a Dahomey woman kidnapped into slavery.) her poems and children’s books consistently challenge stereotypes by bearing witness for the victims of America’s failed promises. She is the author of eleven collections of poetry, most recently Blessing the Boats: New and Selected Poems, 1988-2000, and of many popular books for children. Maryland’s Poet Laureate from 1979 to 1982, she has taught at universities across the country and is currently Distinguished Professor of Humanities at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. In 1999, Lucille Clifton was named a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets. She lives in Columbia, Maryland.