A poet and author from Buffalo, New York, Clifton was best known for writing on themes related to African American identity, feminist issues, the female body, and family life, in a style known for being simple and concise with minimal punctuation. Her poetry was championed early on by Langston Hughes, who included her work in a book he published after a friend passed it along. Clifton went on to win numerous awards for her writing and later became a professor of writing and literature.