The Light of the World by Elizabeth Alexander

The Light of the World
by Elizabeth Alexander 


Elizabeth Alexander is currently a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets and the inaugural Frederick Iseman Professor of Poetry at Yale University. Her memoir, The Light of the World is the #1 May Indie Next list title pick. The Light of the World’s amazing Los Angeles Times review really says it all.


“I just finished The Light of the World by Elizabeth Alexander. It’s a memoir about coping with the death of her husband, and it’s magnificent.”  —First Lady Michelle Obama, from an interview in The Skimm


"The Light of the World is an extraordinary book--the writing exquisite, clear as water, astonishingly moving, and beautiful."  —Elaine Pagels, Harrington Professor of the History of Religion, Princeton University


“This is a gorgeous love story, written by one of America’s greatest contemporary poets. Graceful in its simplicity, sweeping in scope, this book is proof that behind the boarded-up windows of America’s roiled marriages and ruined affairs, true love still exists, and where it does exist, it graces the world—and us—with light and hope. Elizabeth Alexander is a prose writer of deep talent and affecting skill. With ease, she peels back layer after layer to show the soft secrets of affection, the kindness, and the wide open generosity of a full-hearted man and talented artist, who had more love to give in his relatively short lifetime that most of us will ever know.”
— James McBride, National Book Award-winning author of "The Good Lord Bird" and #1 New York Times bestseller "The Color of Water"


In THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD,  Elizabeth Alexander—poet, mother, and wife—finds herself at an existential crossroads after the death of her husband, artist and chef Ficre Ghebreyesus. Reflecting with gratitude on the exquisite beauty of her married life that was, grappling with the subsequent void, and feeling a re-energized devotion to her two teenage sons, Alexander channels her poetic sensibilities into a rich, lucid prose that describes a very personal and yet universal quest for meaning, understanding, and acceptance, taking stock of herself at the midcentury mark. This deeply resonant memoir is about being strong when you want to collapse, being grateful when someone has been stolen from you—but mostly, it's about discovering the truth in life's journey: that love is what matters most.


Professor Elizabeth Alexander 
is a poet, essayist, playwright, and teacher.  In 2009, she composed and delivered “Praise Song for the Day” for the inauguration of President Barack Obama. She has published six books of poems, two collections of essays, and a play. Her book of poems, American Sublime (2005), was one of three finalists for the Pulitzer Prize and was one of the American Library Associations “Notable Books of the Year.” Her play, “Diva Studies” (1996) was produced at the Yale School of Drama. 
Professor Alexander is currently a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets and the inaugural Frederick Iseman Professor of Poetry at Yale University. She is the former Chair of the African American Studies Department at Yale University.

Purchase The Light of the World by Elizabeth Alexander