Inaugural Poet Chosen

Elizabeth Alexander -- an African American studies professor at Yale -- has been chosen as the featured poet at Barack Obama's inauguration.

I'd been doing my best to push for a gay or lesbian poet, and the idea seemed to gain some traction. AfterElton put it on their front page today, with a picture of my pick for the slot, Mark Doty. I don't know Elizabeth Alexander's sexuality, but her public statements indicate that she's gay-inclusive in her influences and aesthetics.

Her website includes an essay in tribute to bisexual poet June Jordan. In an interview, she cites Melvin Dixon as an influence -- a talented poet and novelist I read years ago, who passed away in 1992 from AIDS. Alexander makes a point about the increasing overlap in the academy between queer studies programs and black studies programs.

I think there is very particular queering of black studies that is taking place at this moment that is absolutely essential. And this notion of the love act that is not just in this traditional heterosexual matrix ... there should be a notion of black love and black community that includes ... men loving men and women loving women, and some loving both, and then all loving in between.

I'm interested in finding out more about her -- and reading her poems, of course. She's certainly going to have the eyes of the world on her for a few minutes on January 20, 2009.

Comments

[Brayden]

Are you saying she talks like a duck?

[Karl]

Um, I'm saying she's teaching at *Yale*....

[L]

she's a beloved professor of mine--my dissertation chair, actually. elizabeth is heterosexual...but she is exceptionally queer-affirmative.

[Karl]

Thanks for the comment, L. I've been very excited by all that I've read about Elizabeth Alexander since her name was announced.