Elizabeth Alexander is the author of three books of poems, The Venus Hottentot, Body of Life, and Antebellum Dream Book. Her essay collection The Black Interior was published in 2004. Her work has appeared in publications such as Signs, American Literary History, Callaloo, The Paris Review, and American Poetry Review. Her verse play Diva Studies was produced at the Yale School of Drama in 1996. Alexander has taught at the University of Chicago, NYU, and Smith College. She currently teaches English and African American Studies at Yale University.
Elizabeth Alexander
Articles by Elizabeth Alexander
Thursday February 4
American Sublime
We want Brasil but Brasil won’t win.
Aden waves a desultory green and yellow flag.
From the East to the West to the West to the East
we scatter and settle and scatter some more.
Through the window, Mama watches from the cool indoors.