Elizabeth Alexander (poet) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Elizabeth Alexander
Born	(1962-05-30) May 30, 1962 (age 63) Harlem, New York City, U.S.
Education	Yale University (BA) Boston University (MA) University of Pennsylvania (PhD)
Spouse	Ficre Ghebreyesus (deceased 2012)
Children	2 sons
Relatives	Clifford Alexander Jr. (father) Mark C. Alexander (brother) Arthur C. Logan (grandfather) Myra Adele Logan (greataunt)

Elizabeth Alexander (born in 1962) is a famous American poet, writer, and expert in literature. Since 2018, she has been the president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. This foundation supports arts and humanities.

Before this, Elizabeth Alexander taught at Yale University for 15 years. She taught poetry and led the African American studies department. In 2015, she became the director of creativity at the Ford Foundation. Later, in 2016, she joined Columbia University as a professor. In 2022, Time magazine named her one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.

Growing Up and Learning

Elizabeth Alexander was born in Harlem, New York City. She grew up in Washington, D.C.. Her father, Clifford Alexander Jr., was a U.S. Secretary of the Army. Her mother, Adele Logan Alexander, taught African-American women's history.

When she was a baby, her parents took her to the March on Washington in 1963. This was where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I Have A Dream" speech. Elizabeth said that "Politics was in the drinking water at my house." She also took ballet lessons as a child.

She finished high school at Sidwell Friends School in 1980. Then she went to Yale University and earned her bachelor's degree in 1984. She studied poetry at Boston University with the famous poet Derek Walcott. She got her master's degree in 1987.

Her mother suggested she apply to Boston University. Elizabeth originally wanted to study fiction writing. But Derek Walcott saw her diary and noticed her talent for poetry. She said he helped her see her words as poetry.

In 1992, she earned her PhD in English from the University of Pennsylvania. While finishing her degree, she taught at Haverford College. During this time, she published her first book, The Venus Hottentot. The title refers to Saartjie Baartman, a South African woman from the 1800s.

Teaching and Writing Career

Before becoming a professor, Elizabeth Alexander worked as a reporter. She wrote for The Washington Post from 1984 to 1985. But she soon realized it was not the career she wanted.

In 1991, she started teaching English at the University of Chicago. Here, she met Barack Obama, who was a law professor there. In 1992, she won a writing award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

In 1996, she released a book of poems called Body of Life. She also wrote a play called Diva Studies, which was performed at Yale University. She helped start the Cave Canem workshop. This workshop helps African-American poets grow their skills.

In 1997, she won an award for excellent teaching at the University of Chicago. Later that year, she moved to Massachusetts to teach at Smith College. She became the first director of the college's Poetry Center.

In 2000, she returned to Yale University. She taught African American studies and English. She also published her third poetry collection, Antebellum Dream Book. In 2007, she received the Jackson Poetry Prize. This award honors talented American poets.

Since 2008, Elizabeth Alexander has led the African American Studies department at Yale. She teaches English literature and gender studies. In 2015, she was chosen as a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets. In 2018, Yale University gave her an honorary degree.

Important Works

Elizabeth Alexander's poems, stories, and essays have appeared in many journals. These include The Paris Review and The Washington Post. Her play Diva Studies earned her a writing fellowship.

Her 2005 book of poetry, American Sublime, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. This is a very important award for writers. She also studies African-American literature and culture. She published a collection of essays called The Black Interior. In 2010, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award in Poetry.

Reading at the Presidential Inauguration

On January 20, 2009, Elizabeth Alexander read her poem "Praise Song for the Day". She wrote this poem especially for the inauguration of President Barack Obama. She was only the fourth poet to read at a U.S. presidential inauguration. Other poets who read were Robert Frost, Maya Angelou, and Miller Williams.

Many poets and critics were happy about her selection. They said she was "smart" and "true to her roots." The Poetry Foundation said her choice showed poetry's important place in the country.

Some critics felt her poem was "too much like prose." They also thought her delivery was not dramatic enough. But Elizabeth Alexander wrote about her experience in The New Yorker. She brought her father to sit next to her at the inauguration. Her father had been at the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

Family Life

Elizabeth Alexander's mother is part of the Logan family. This is an old and respected African-American family. Her grandfather was Dr. Arthur C. Logan. Her great-aunt was Dr. Myra Adele Logan.

Elizabeth was married to Ficre Ghebreyesus until he passed away in 2012. She lives with their two sons in New York City. She is also a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. In 2010, she appeared on the PBS show Faces of America. This show explored her family history and ancestry.

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  Elizabeth Alexander