Bill Text: IL HR0815 | 2017-2018 | 100th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Recognizes the accomplishments of poet Tyehimba Jess.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2018-02-13 - Resolution Adopted [HR0815 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2017-HR0815-Introduced.html
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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
3 | Representatives wish to recognize the work and accomplishments | ||||||
4 | of Tyehimba Jess; and
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5 | WHEREAS, Tyehimba Jess grew up in Detroit, Michigan and | ||||||
6 | started writing poetry at the age of 16; when he was 18, he won | ||||||
7 | second prize for poetry at an NAACP academic competition; he | ||||||
8 | enrolled in the University of Chicago to study Public Policy; | ||||||
9 | however, when taking classes with poet and scholar Sterling | ||||||
10 | Plumpp, who became his mentor, he realized his real passion was | ||||||
11 | for poetry; he graduated from the University of Chicago in 1991 | ||||||
12 | with a bachelor's degree in public policy; he earned his Master | ||||||
13 | of Fine Arts from New York University in 2004; and
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14 | WHEREAS, Tyehimba Jess is the author of two books of | ||||||
15 | poetry, Leadbelly and Olio; his inspiration for writing stems | ||||||
16 | from his desire to convey historical themes through expression | ||||||
17 | and performance; and
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18 | WHEREAS, Tyehimba Jess has won many awards, including the | ||||||
19 | 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Olio, an Illinois Arts Council | ||||||
20 | Fellowship in Poetry, the Chicago Sun-Times Poetry Award, and a | ||||||
21 | Whiting Fellowship; his work has appeared in Soul Fires: Young | ||||||
22 | Black Men on Love and Violence, Obsidian III: Literature in the |
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1 | African Diaspora, and Power Lines: Ten Years of Poetry from | ||||||
2 | Chicago's Guild Complex; and
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3 | WHEREAS, Tyehimba Jess teaches poetry and fiction at the | ||||||
4 | College of Staten Island of the City University of New York and | ||||||
5 | is the faculty adviser for Caesura, the college's literary arts | ||||||
6 | magazine; therefore, be it
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7 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
8 | HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | ||||||
9 | recognize the contributions Tyehimba Jess has made to the | ||||||
10 | literary world and to the people of Illinois, and we | ||||||
11 | congratulate him on his 2017 Pulitzer Prize; and be it further
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12 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
13 | presented to Tyehimba Jess as a symbol of our esteem and | ||||||
14 | respect.
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