Gwendolyn Brooks’ Maud Martha: Extraordinarily Ordinary
Get to know Gwendolyn Brooks and the main character in her novel Maud Martha, from which the selection "Home" is taken, at this site. Maud Martha is an ordinary person who faces many challenges in a complex world. In the Web Links Activity Log, write a page about a difficulty that you are encountering now and how you plan to overcome it.

Creative Quotations from Lucille Clifton
Visit this site for some quotations by Clifton that reveal her wisdom about the world and about poetry in particular. What do you suppose Clifton means when she says, "Poetry is a matter of life, not just a matter of language"? How do these words relate to the poem "the 1st"? Discuss your thoughts with a partner.