Arnold Adoff
Arnold Adoff was born in 1935 in the city of New York, New York. While being a poet himself, he was also known for collecting the works of Black authors to compose anthologies. He did this in the conviction that there wasn't enough Black literature available in the schools where he taught, although he clarified once for the Cincinnati Enquirer, "I am NOT an expert on black life or culture or even black poetry. I am a continuing student." He also told them "we do not need any more white experts on black anything in this country."
Consequently, for his own work, Adoff drew heavily upon his own experiences. One of the themes he chose to focus on was interracial families, being married to fellow children's author Virginia Hamilton and raising their two kids Leigh and Jaime. His appreciation for music was what led him to writing poetry in the reminiscence of a melody.
For a Something About the Author biography, he is quoted as saying:
I began writing for kids because I wanted to effect a change in American society. By the time we reach adulthood, we are closed and set in our attitudes.... But I can open a child’s imagination, develop his appetite for poetry, and most importantly show him that poetry is a natural part of everyday life. We all need someone to point out that the emperor has no clothes. That’s the poet’s job.... I know, too, that I write for children because the child in me is still very much alive.
