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Inspired Street Names in Columbia Honor a Local Poet Laureate
Howard Hughes is honored to announce the names of three new streets in Downtown Columbia: Rustling Sky Way, Singing Stone Terrace, and Distant Star Lane.
Inspired by the late Lucille Clifton, a Maryland Poet Laureate from 1979-1985 and a Columbia, Maryland resident who passed away in 2010, this dedication symbolizes a legacy left not only on our own community but her literary influence left on the world.
“Lucille Clifton is one of Columbia’s most celebrated residents, a widely recognized and beloved writer who made her mark on our community as well as the larger world,” said Greg Fitchitt, President of the Columbia Region for Howard Hughes. “Continuing Columbia’s tradition of naming streets after writers and other artists, we believe Lucille Clifton is the perfect choice to represent this area known as a garden for the growing of people and ideas.”
Howard County Executive Calvin Ball also spoke to the significance of this dedication. “Through her literary work, Lucille Clifton impacted the lives of millions and left a profound mark on the world. To our Howard County residents, Lucille was more than a nationally renowned poet and author — she was our neighbor and friend. In recognition of her global impact and local ties, I’m honored to join the family of Lucille Clifton and Howard Hughes to name these three streets in the Lakefront District of Downtown Columbia.”
Among her many honors, Lucille Clifton authored over 30 books, won the National Book Award, and was twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry. Her children’s writing won her the Coretta Scott King Award and an Emmy for Free to Be You and Me.