Sixth grade history class was four score and seven brain cells ago, but perhaps you recall the animated Schoolhouse Rock video that explained -- through '70s folk rock -- the Constitution's preamble?

"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility..."

Jen Benka, a Milwaukee native now living in New York City, took the preamble to higher creative ground, and recently published a collection of 52 poems, one for each word in the preamble, in an effort to "examine, expose and rewrite the document one word at a time."

This fascinating work, aptly called "The Preamble," was inspired by a class assignment given by Milwaukee artist and writer Nicholas Frank during a Woodland Pattern writing workshop.

"I had been reading the Constitution, and was considering using it for a visual art project," says Benka. "When Nick gave the assignment, I began thinking about ways in which I could work with the Constitution. I centered on the preamble, which is the most poetic part of the document. Eventually, I became interested in applying a kind of investigative poetry to uncover the underside of the words that comprise the preamble."

Benka went on to write a first draft of the manuscript, but then set the project aside to focus on her move to New York City in January of 2001. Eight months after she arrived, the September 11th tragedy happened, and Benka started to think about the collection of poems stashed away in a shoebox.

One by one, Benka began to revise the poems and The Brooklyn Artists Alliance, a nonprofit organization and independent publisher, later published the collection.

Benka, 35, was born in Cudahy and graduated from Marquette University. While living in Milwaukee, she was involved in NARAL and clinic defense, and worked for Guest House homeless shelter, 9to5 National Association of Working Women and Community Shares Milwaukee (formerly ACHOICE). She also served on the Board for Woodland Pattern and played in a few bands.

Benka is currently the managing director of Poets & Writers, Inc. She has published work in So To Speak, Off Our Backs, Ms. Magazine, The Progressive and on Cafemo.com and La Petite Zine. She has received numerous grants and awards, including a 2001 poetry fellowship from the Wisconsin Arts Board.

For more information about The Preamble, visit www.cafemo.com/jenbenka