Every Book of Elizabeth Alexander, the Poet for Obama's Inauguration

This is Alexander's first British publication. Many of these poems bring history alive and singing into the present in highly musical, sharply contemporary narratives, which use many different forms and voices to cover subjects ranging from slave rebellions, the Civil Rights movement, Muhammad Ali and Toni Morrison to the lives of jazz musicians and the 'Venus Hottentot', a 19th-century African woman exhibited at carnivals.

This collection of poems examines the 19th century experience of African Americans. Filled with persona poems, sonnets, jazz riffs and elegies, these poems voice the outcries, dreams and cries of an American people.

The New York Times Book Review said that Ms. Alexander creates "intellectual magic in poem after poem." The conflicts of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, a vision where the poet takes on the voice of Muhammad Ali, and a host of other historical figures are all fodder for this very gifted poet. This highly readable book was one of the 25 Favorite Books for 2001 in The Village Voice.

A compelling collection of essays that takes a critical look at some of Black America's most influential cultural voices.

This book contains more than forty poems set in both the United States and India.

Twenty-four sonnets chronicle the story of Prudence Crandall and her efforts to educate young, black women in 19th century Canterbury, Connecticut. The school was only open for two years, and the students and Miss Crandall faced arson, poisoned water, and overt hatred from the community. This book is a series of glimpses into the life of Miss Crandall and the girls she tried so desperately to educate.

The Poets on Poetry Series collects reviews, essays and interviews by contemporary poets. In this collection of Ms. Alexander's works she focuses on African American artistic production. In the first section of the book Alexander discusses other black poets such as Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Lucille Clifton and Rita Dove. The second part of the book contains wonderful discussions on Black Feminist thought. The last section of the book includes interviews and a wonderfully engaging commencement address.