THE LIGHT of the WORLD a memoir by Elizabeth Alexander

Elizabeth Alexander is a prof.,  author & poet.  Her American Sublime book of poetry was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.  She composed & recited "Praise Song for the Day," at Pres. Obama's '09 Inauguration.  Her memoir THE LIGHT of the WORLD is a tribute to her beloved husband Ficre who passed away suddenly days after his 50th birthday.  Alexander shares the threads that miraculous intertwined their 2 lives and the unbreakable bonds their love sowed.  This beautifully written book is a pastiche of personal histories, poetry, mourning and recipies that combined to pay tribute to art, life & love.  Alexander candidly shares the shocking & life altering ordeal of loss and grief.  Her memoir is a poignant testament to the richness that abounds in life that give rise to celebration.   Melancholy permeates from the love she cherished & the recognition of what will be forever missed in her life meant to be shared.  This memoir shines throughout as a compelling narrative of loss, life & gratitude.  Alexander tells us "I don't want to be a nostalgist. Yet I feed on memory, need it to make poems, the art that is made of the stuff I have:  my life and the world around me." "We must be gleaners from what life has set before us."