Gwendolyn E. Brooks

Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks 7 Jun 1917 - 3 Dec 2000

Born Topeka, Kansas

"Blackness is what I know best. I want to talk about it, with definitive illustration," said writer Gwendolyn Brooks. From her sensitive autobiographical novel Maud Martha to her popular rhythmic poem "We Real Cool," Brooks devoted her work to portraying urban African American life with poignancy, artistry, and pride. During the course of her career, Brooks received two Guggenheim Fellowships and became the first black writer to receive the Pulitzer Prize and earn election to the National Institute of Arts and Letters. Brooks wrote of this sculpture: "Sara, thank you for extending my life; for sending my life into bronze and beyond."

Sara S. Miller [1924-2016]; purchased NPG 1994

Credit: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution