Quote of the Day (Gwendolyn Brooks, on Why 'Art Hurts')

“Art hurts. Art urges voyages –

and it is easier to stay at home." — African-American poet Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000), “The Chicago Picasso," from In the Mecca (1968)

Gwendolyn Brooks—born 100 years ago today in Topeka, Kansas—became more associated with Chicago, where her family moved when she was a child. In 1950, she became the first African-American to win the Pulitzer Prize with her poetry collection Annie Allen. She also became the first African-American woman to serve as poetry consultant to the Library of Congress.