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World AIDS Day: Remembering Essex Hemphill.

Essex Hemphill was a poet who's written about being black and gay and edited anthologies of black gay poets. He died this year. During our interview, last year, he read from his work "Vital Signs" which was written in 1993 after he discovered how low his T-cell count had fallen. Hemphill also wrote two poetry books Earth Life and Conditions and a collection called Ceremonies. He was also the editor of Brother to Brother: New Writings by Black Gay Men. (Rebroadcast of 12/1/1994)

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Other segments from the episode on December 1, 1995

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, December 1, 1995: Interview with Mark Doty; Interview with Essex Hemphill; Interview with Michael Denneny; Interview with David Trinidad; Interview with Felice Picano.
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17:33

World AIDS Day: Mark Doty Confront AIDS in Poetry.

Poet Mark Doty's newest book of poems called Atlantis reflects back on the life and death of his longtime lover who died of AIDS last year. His last collection, My Alexandria (University of Illinois Press). won the 1994 National Book Critics Circle award. (Rebroadcast of 12/1/1994)

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06:36

World AIDS Day: Felice Picano's List.

Felice Picano talks about losing 74 friends to AIDS. He recently came across a list with 75 people who attended his 40th birthday party in 1984. All but one....who is unaccounted for have died from AIDS.

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03:28

Essex Hemphill on Battling AIDS and Racism in Poetry

Hemphill is the author of two books of poetry, "Earth Life" and "Conditions," and a collection of prose and poetry called "Ceremonies." He's also the editor of "Brother to Brother: New Writings by Black Gay Men." He reads an excerpt from his poem "Vital Signs," published in the collection "Life Sentences: Writers, Artists, and AIDS," edited by Thomas Avena.

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