give it up for sonya sanchez.[applause] primarily five volumes of poetry she has written seven plays a collection of short stories in children's books all of which are infused with the brilliant observation of everyday life told in the black vernacular and speaks of great affection of the storytelling style of her paternal grandmother in birmingham alabama she reared her for a number of years until the african-american revie review, that love of language that has compelled me that love of language that came from listening to my grandmother speak bat black english that says that said this before you and to keep the great american tradition of american poetry alive. sanchez narrative poems tell the story of the poor of the addicted and oppressed and in their own language with power and empathy interspersed from the heartbreaking stories of home girls and hang grenades which won the american book award in 1985 also celebrating life and love and sexuality. one of her favorite poetic forms is haiku one such poem rejoic