"This book presents the lives and literary contributions of famous and unfamiliar poets alike. Concise personal and professional information, including awards, covers such poets as: Maya Angelou, N. Scott Momaday, Leslie Marmon Silko, Rita Dove, Gary Soto, Pat Mora, Derek Walcott, and more." "Readers are also introduced to the major works and thematic concerns of such lesser-known poets as Luci Tapahonso, Li-Young Lee, and Jimmy Santiago Baca. A dozen different ethnic backgrounds are represented, including Asian American, African American, Jewish American, American Indian, Latino/a, and Palestinian American. Full bibliographic information following each entry will help users locate the collections and anthologies where the cited poems can easily be found."--BOOK JACKET.