Claudia Rankine: An American Lyric

Claudia Rankine’s Citizen is an indictment of our times. Using a poetic frame, she uncovers an insidious racism embedded in the everyday – from Main Street USA to the lecture halls of the Ivory Tower. An offhand comment or a helpful call from a neighbor can carry ominous weight, as Rankine’s observations move from bewilderment to disappointment to quiet ire. Citizen is a true revelation – it leaves its readers unsettled, moved, and changed with every page.

This program is presented in partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Poetry Foundation, Illinois Humanities, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.