Elizabeth Alexander: The Light of the World

Pulitzer finalist Elizabeth Alexander’s latest book, The Light of the World, is a memoir about loss, a reflection on her existential crossroads after the sudden death of her beloved husband four days after his 50th birthday party. Alexander, a poet and professor at Columbia University who read her “Praise Song for the Day” at President Obama’s 2009 inauguration, writes about the beauty of her married life, the trauma of her husband's death, and the solace found in caring for her two teenage sons.

This program is presented as part of the annual Karla Scherer Endowed Lecture Series for the University of Chicago and is presented in partnership with the Poetry Foundation.