Description
Black Moods collects for the first time all of Frank Marshall Davis's extant published poems as well as his previously unpublished work. From sharp-edged sketches of Southside Chicago's urban landscape to the prismatic world that lay beneath Hawaii's placid surface, Davis's muscular poems blend social, cultural, and political concerns--always shaped by his promise to "try to be as direct as good blues."
Recovering politically potent poems from the long-lost father of modern Black poetry
About the Author
Frank Marshall Davis (1905-87) was an editor, reporter, columnist, and critic. His poetry collections include Black Man's Verse (1935), I Am the American Negro (1937), and 47th Street: Poems (1948). John Edgar Tidwell is an associate professor of English at the University of Kansas.
Reviews
"What makes reading Davis' poetry worthwhile is his vivid use of imagery, which operates as the engine behind his writing. . . . Tidwell rightfully proclaims that Frank Marshall Davis is a powerful voice that should not be forgotten."--Michael V. Williams, Black Issues Book Review
"Davis is unforgettable when he is fierce. . . . The blues of Frank Marshall Davis weren't the blues of self-pity or mourning . . . but of tempered strength."--Roger Martin, The Topeka Capital-Journal
"With the publication of Black Moods, Tidwell calls not only for the inclusion of Frank Marshall Davis in the still-emerging canon of African American literature, but also for more searching analysis of the ongoing debates about art and politics that continue to shape our understanding of African American literary history. In this regard the publication of Black Moods is a cause for celebration; it adds another important building block to the ongoing project of retrieving a central legacy in twentieth-century African American writing."--African American Review
Book Information
ISBN 9780252074684
Author Frank Marshall Davis
Format Paperback
Page Count 352
Imprint University of Illinois Press
Publisher University of Illinois Press
Dimensions(mm) 235mm * 152mm * 20mm
John Edgar Tidwell's introduction examines both Davis's poetry and his politics, presenting a subtle portrait of a complex writer devoted to exposing discriminatory practices and reaffirming the humanity of the common people.
Recovering politically potent poems from the long-lost father of modern Black poetry
About the Author
Frank Marshall Davis (1905-87) was an editor, reporter, columnist, and critic. His poetry collections include Black Man's Verse (1935), I Am the American Negro (1937), and 47th Street: Poems (1948). John Edgar Tidwell is an associate professor of English at the University of Kansas.
Reviews
"What makes reading Davis' poetry worthwhile is his vivid use of imagery, which operates as the engine behind his writing. . . . Tidwell rightfully proclaims that Frank Marshall Davis is a powerful voice that should not be forgotten."--Michael V. Williams, Black Issues Book Review
"Davis is unforgettable when he is fierce. . . . The blues of Frank Marshall Davis weren't the blues of self-pity or mourning . . . but of tempered strength."--Roger Martin, The Topeka Capital-Journal
"With the publication of Black Moods, Tidwell calls not only for the inclusion of Frank Marshall Davis in the still-emerging canon of African American literature, but also for more searching analysis of the ongoing debates about art and politics that continue to shape our understanding of African American literary history. In this regard the publication of Black Moods is a cause for celebration; it adds another important building block to the ongoing project of retrieving a central legacy in twentieth-century African American writing."--African American Review
Book Information
ISBN 9780252074684
Author Frank Marshall Davis
Format Paperback
Page Count 352
Imprint University of Illinois Press
Publisher University of Illinois Press
Dimensions(mm) 235mm * 152mm * 20mm
