Poet reads her work

Her poems about black suffering and abuse were sometimes disturbing and unsettling. At other times, they were uplifting. But each seemed to move the largely African American audience to a vicarious reliving of their collective heritage. Elizabeth Alexander, a critically acclaimed poet and assistant professor of English at the University of Chicago, delivered her poems Thursday at a reading sponsored by the Afro-American Studies Program. Her poems addressed subjects ranging from the Rodney King case to boxer Mike Tyson, urban decay in black neighborhoods and stories of abuse in pre-Civil War America. One particular poem, entitled "Venus Hottentot," told the story of a black woman in the 19th century who was taken to Europe and exhibited naked in a cage. Students in the audience appeared deeply inspired by Alexander's reading. "When I heard her poetry, it was an extraordinary emotional experience," said Cheryl Butler, an English graduate student. "It really took me back to the 19th century and the abuse suffered by African Americans." The reading was part of a continuing series entitled "A Mosaic of Black Writing," which aims to bring the attention of the University community to different forms of African American literature, according to Gale Ellison, coordinator of the Afro-American Studies Program. John Roberts, director of the Afro-American Studies Program, said Alexander was particularly deserving of this recognition. "She is an upcoming young poet who deserves a forum in which to showcase her works," he said.