Gwendolyn Brooks Quotes

9 quotes from 8 authors

Gwendolyn Brooks reshaped how poetry speaks to society, and these nine snippets capture her fierce honesty and cultural resonance. They show why readers turn to her work for truth and perspective. Fans of African‑American verse or poets like Lucille Clifton may find adjacent pages rewarding.

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I love, loved, loved 'We Real Cool' by Gwendolyn Brooks.

Jason Reynolds

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One does not read a poem by Gwendolyn Brooks with hopes that it will grant him a career in engineering; he does…

Clint Smith

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There are many writers who have influenced me and who I enjoy reading, but Lucille Clifton and Gwendolyn Brooks are at the…

Renee Watson

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I was reading Carl Sandburg and Gwendolyn Brooks, and I'm still very, very deeply moved by Gwendolyn Brooks's life and her work.

Sandra Cisneros

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When I started writing poetry, it was always in very hip-hop influenced spaces: Someone would teach a Nas song side-by-side with a…

Jamila Woods

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Each poet probably has his or her own cupboard of magnets. For some, it is cars; for others, works of art, or…

Jane Hirshfield

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Do you think that Gwendolyn Brooks would give an award to someone who hated Black women, the lie that was circulated throughout…

Ishmael Reed

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I was reading Emily Dickinson and Edwin Arlington Robinson, but these weren't the poets that influenced me. I think Gwendolyn Brooks influenced…

Sandra Cisneros

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“breath, life after seven decades plus three years is a lot of breathing. seventy three years on this earth is a lot…

Haki R. Madhubuti

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