(born 1952) First African American poet laureate of the United States, as well as the youngest, in 1993–5. Her published works include Yellow House and Corner (1980) and Mother Love (1995); Thomas and Beulah (1986), which explores the stories of her grandparents, won the Pulitzer Prize. She has also published a novel, Through the Ivory Gate (1992). Much of her work seeks to deal with ordinary life; she is also interested in communicating poetry to children.