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Popular Culture Review
glass all over. As 1 looked up once more to look around, I
could not see my father, and I thought, there he goes again,
disappearing, never telling me where he’s going.
Keep a tissue nearby as some of these stories will definitely stir
connections deep within you, which is Talarico’s point: stories, not the
commercial, sitcom, one hour drama, but real people sharing insights into the
heart, mind, and soul.
Melissa Llanes Brownlee, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Lucille Clifton: Her Life and Letters
Mary Jane Lupton
Westport, CT: Praeger, 2006
Mary Jane Lupton’s Lucille Clifton: Her Life and Letters is the second
book-length biographical treatment of this important poet’s life (the first came
shortly before, in 2004: Wild Blessings: The Poetry of Lucille Clifton by Hilary
Holladay). The importance of Lucille Clifton as a poet will surely generate a
shelf of books in time. Mary Jane Lupton’s book is an indispensable companion
to reading Clifton’s work because through thorough research, careful readings of
the poems throughout Clifton’s long career, and extensive interviews, Lupton
has crafted a straightforward and compelling aid to assisting readers who want
to bring more dimension to their understanding of Clifton’s personal and
political poetry. The study is deepened by Lupton’s ability to bring a
multiplicity of disciplinary expertise to bear on understanding the complex life
of her subject. In addition, Lupton is an expert interviewer able to glean a great
deal of information from interviews with Clifton herself, members of her family,
associates, and friends. This information is presented in a compelling narrative
that shapes our understanding of Clifton’s work.
The influence of Lupton’s popular cultural studies background can be
felt strongly in h