Lucille Clifton: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Nov. 7, 2026

News •

Also Known As	Thelma Lucille Sayles
Born	June 27, 1936 • New York
Died	February 13, 2010 (aged 73) • Baltimore • Maryland
Awards And Honors	National Book Award • Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize (2007)
Notable Works	“All Us Come Cross the Water” • “An Ordinary Woman” • “Blessing the Boats: New and Selected Poems, 1988-2000 • “Collected Poems of Lucille Clifton: 1965–2010” • “Everett Anderson’s Goodbye” • “Generations: A Memoir” • “Good News About the Earth” • “Good Woman: Poems and a Memoir: 1969-1980” • “Mercy” • “My Friend Jacob” • “One of the Problems of Everett Anderson” • “Quilting Poems 1987-1990” • “Some of the Days of Everett Anderson” • “Three Wishes”