Young Poet’s Primer

Inspired by her years of teaching and experience working with independent Black publishers, Brooks created her own imprint in 1980 and produced these guides for young poets. Brooks thought it was essential that young people have the opportunity to express themselves. “A teacher cannot create a poet,” she once said, but “a teacher can oblige the writing student to write.” The covers of these books, like the writing exercises in them, are simple and inviting, aiming to introduce a new generation to the joy of poetry.