Anthologies#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| I Am the Darker Brother |
1968 |
Buy |
| Real Things: An Anthology of Popular Culture in American Poetry |
1999 |
Buy |
| Making Callaloo: 25 Years of Black Literature |
2002 |
Buy |
| O Taste and See: Food Poems |
2003 |
Buy |
| Writer in the Library: 41 Writers Reveal How They Use Libraries to Develop Their Skill, Craft & Careers |
2008 |
Buy |
| Sisters |
2009 |
Buy |
| The Civil Rights Reader |
2009 |
Buy |
| The Penguin Anthology of Twentieth-Century American Poetry |
2011 |
Buy |
| What My Mother Gave Me |
2013 |
Buy |
| Truth to Power |
2017 |
Buy |
| Reel Verse |
2019 |
Buy |
| The 1619 Project |
2019 |
Buy |
| Breaking into Blossom: Poems with Extraordinary Endings |
2025 |
Buy |
Collections#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Yellow House on the Corner |
1980 |
Buy |
| Museum |
1983 |
Buy |
| Fifth Sunday |
1985 |
Buy |
| Thomas and Beulah |
1986 |
Buy |
| Grace Notes |
1990 |
Buy |
| Selected Poems |
1993 |
Buy |
| The Poet’s World |
1995 |
Buy |
| Mother Love |
1995 |
Buy |
| On the Bus With Rosa Parks |
1999 |
Buy |
| American Smooth |
2004 |
Buy |
| Sonata Mulattica |
2009 |
Buy |
| Collected Poems: 1974-2004 |
2016 |
Buy |
| Playlist for the Apocalypse |
2021 |
Buy |
Plays#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Darker Face of the Earth |
1994 |
Buy |
Standalone Novels#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Through the Ivory Gate |
1992 |
Buy |
Rita Dove is one of the most recognized American poets of her generation. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1987 for Thomas and Beulah, a collection of poems tracing the lives of her grandparents. From 1993 to 1995, she served as U.S. Poet Laureate, the youngest person and the first African American appointed to the role.
Her published work includes more than a dozen poetry collections, from The Yellow House on the Corner (1980) to Playlist for the Apocalypse (2021). She has also written a novel, Through the Ivory Gate (1992), and a verse play, The Darker Face of the Earth (1994). As an editor and anthologist, she compiled The Penguin Anthology of Twentieth-Century American Poetry (2011) among other collections.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has Rita Dove written?
Rita Dove has written 28 books across four series.
What was Rita Dove's first book?
Rita Dove’s first book is I Am the Darker Brother, published in 1968.
What awards has Rita Dove won?
Dove won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1987 for Thomas and Beulah. She served as U.S. Poet Laureate from 1993 to 1995, making her the youngest person and the first African American to hold the position.