Born in 1957, Essex Hemphill started writing poetry young. It was the early 1970s in Chicago, he was 14, and in a worn journal he recorded his musings on family life and his emerging gay sexuality. In 1975, with an English degree from the University of the District of Columbia, Hemphill co-founded the Nethula Journal of Contemporary Literature, a magazine showcasing work by Black artists. He began to publish: Earth Life in 1985, Conditions in 1986. And then came AIDS, catching Hemphill in its net. In the poem “American Wedding” (1992), he wrote: “What the rose whispers / before blooming / I vow to you.” This exhibition presents work by artists who have drawn inspiration from Hemphill, who died in 1995. —Elena Clavarino