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Performance Poet Sapphire on Giving Her Students a "Push"

Performance poet Sapphire has written a new novel, "Push," in the voice of a 16 year-old black girl named Precious Jones, who is pregnant for the second time by her father. Her world opens up when a teacher encourages her to learn to read and write. Sapphire taught reading and writing to teenagers and adults in Harlem and the Bronx for eight years. There's also a new edition of her book of poetry, "American Dreams."

21:39

Other segments from the episode on July 8, 1996

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, July 8, 1996: Interview with Sapphire; Interview with Daniel Schacter; Review of the CD box set "Crescent City Soul."

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