How I Discovered Poetry

This powerful and thought-provoking memoir in verse by celebrated poet Marilyn Nelson offers a unique window into her childhood and artistic development during the 1950s, a defining period of the Civil Rights movement. Through fifty intimate poems, Nelson explores themes of identity, creativity, family, and the societal challenges of a turbulent decade. It's an excellent choice for young adults aged 12-18, providing both a personal story of growth and an accessible entry point into historical context and poetic form. Parents will appreciate its depth, its celebration of resilience, and its potential to spark meaningful conversations about history, art, and self-discovery.

Poet Marilyn Nelson presents fifty eye-opening, intimate poems that tell the story of her development as an artist and young woman during the 1950s, one of America's most turbulent decades. This book is a powerful and thought-provoking Civil Rights era memoir told through poems from Marilyn Nelson, one of America's most celebrated poets.