Yusef Komunyakaa

Katarzyna Jakubiak (Millersville University of Pennsylvania)

Ed. by Nick Selby, University of East Anglia
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 3.2.5: African American Writing and Culture of the United States.
Vol. editors: Sofia Ahlberg (Uppsala University), Philathia Bolton (University of Akron), Patrick Chura (University of Akron), J. Michael Duvall (College of Charleston), Emory Elliott (University of California, Riverside), A Yemisi Jimoh (University of Massachusetts Amherst), Stephen E. Meats (Pittsburg State University), Tony Papanikolas (San Jose State University)

Dates

Born 29 Apr 1947
Activity 1973-ongoing

Places

Born in United States
Active in United States

Cultural Identities

African American

Activities

Primary

Playwright / Dramatist
Poet
Teacher/ Professor

Resources

Yusef Komunyakaa's ever-growing contribution to literature and culture spans – so far – fourteen books of poetry; one collection of prose writings; two plays, which tackle themes as diverse as the epic of Gilgamesh and the Civil Rights movement; five opera librettos with subject matter ranging from the trial of Chief Standing Bear to pitfalls of global capitalism; two edited anthologies of jazz poetry; numerous recordings of poetry-and-music projects developed in collaboration with contemporary musicians; and a treasure trove of other pieces, often challenging generic boundaries (e.g. a dialogue-essay), dispersed among literary magazines. If not a renaissance man, Yusef Komunyakaa is certainly a writer who embraces many different voices and forms of expression. The “volcanic” energy of his art, to paraphrase the critic Michael Collins's poignant evaluation (Callaloo 467), has deservedly made Komunyakaa the first...

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2798 words

Citation: Jakubiak, Katarzyna. "Yusef Komunyakaa". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 March 2009 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=12204, accessed 09 June 2026.]