Yusef Komunyakaa’s books of poetry include The Emperor of Water Clocks, Testimony: A Tribute to Charlie Parker, The Chameleon Couch, Warhorses, Taboo, TalkingDirtytotheGods, and NeonVernacular, for which he received the Pulitzer Prize. His plays, performance art, and librettos have been performed internationally and include Wakonda’s Dream, Saturnalia, Testimony, and Gilgamesh: A Verse Play. He teaches at New York University.