Rita Dove
Rita Dove is a renowned poet who served as the United States Poet Laureate from 1993 to 1995 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1987.
Poet
August 28, 1952
Virgo
72
Akron, Ohio
Rita Dove, born in 1952, is a renowned American poet, essayist, and playwright. She holds the distinction of being the first African American woman to serve as the Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress, a position she held from 1993 to 1995. Among her most celebrated works is “Thomas and Beulah,” which won her the Pulitzer Prize in 1987. Other significant works in her repertoire include “On the Bus with Rosa Parks,” “American Smooth,” “The Darker Face of the Earth,” “Mother Love,” and “Collected Poems 1974â2004.” Dove has been honored with numerous awards, such as the National Humanities Medal and the National Medal of Arts. A trained pianist, she often draws inspiration from music in her writing and has collaborated with musicians and composers on various projects, including an opera adaptation of her play “The Darker Face of the Earth.”