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WHEREAS, Toi Derricotte has built a prestigious career as a world renowned poet, having begun writing and publishing her work for nearly 50 years, drawing substantial attention to African American poetry and prose in the process; and
WHEREAS, she has received great acclaim for her works, including
The Empress of the Death House (1978)
Natural Birth (1983)
Captivity (1989), which received the Columbia Book Award from the Poetry Committee of the Greater Washington D.C. area
The Black Notebooks: An Interior Journey (1997), a New York Times "Notable Book"
Tender (1997), winner of the 1998 Paterson Poetry Prize
and her newest collection, The Undertaker's Daughter (2011); and
WHEREAS, numerous awards have been bestowed upon these works including the
Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award from Poets & Writers, Inc.,
the Distinguished Alumni Award from New York University,
the Lucille Medwick Memorial Award from the Poetry Society of America,
two Pushcart Prizes,
fellowships from the Rockefeller Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation, and two from the National Endowment for the Arts,
and the 2012 PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry; and
WHEREAS, she has additionally built a substantial academic career, having inspired young creative writers for more than 20 years at the University of Pittsburgh, where she is currently a professor of English; and
WHEREAS, she is the co-founder of the Cave Canem Foundation, a home for the many voices of African American poetry committed to cultivating the artistic and professional growth of African American poets.
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THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby respectfully honor the life and legacy of Toi Derricotte and her much lauded work; and,
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby declare April 16, 2013 to be Toi Derricotte Day in the City of Pittsburgh.