Black Moods: Collected Poems (American Poetry Recovery Series) [Hardcover]

Frank Marshall Davis (Author), John Tidwell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 11, 2002

"Black Moods" collects for the first time all of Frank Marshall Davis's extant published poems as well as his known previously unpublished work. Cogently framed by John Edgar Tidwell's insightful introduction, this volume recovers the rich variety of Davis's poetic expression, much of it informed by his political convictions and by his multifaceted work as a journalist. His early work helped promote Chicago as a site of the New Negro Renaissance in the 1930s; late in his career the Black Arts Movement welcomed him as "the long lost father of modern Black poetry." Between these two signposts, Davis engaged in a tireless struggle for social, intellectual, political, and aesthetic freedom, lending his considerable energies and intelligence to the fight against racial segregation, anti-Semitism, labor exploitation, and other injustices. Tidwell 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. From sharp-edged sketches of Southside Chicago's urban landscape to the complicated bright prismatic world that lay beneath Hawaii's placid surface of beach-front hotels, bikinis, and beach bums, Davis's muscular poems blend social, cultural, and political concerns--always shaped by his promise to "try to be as direct as good blues." His jazz poetry and love poems offer a lyrical counterpoint to his realistic and satirical verse focusing on urban life, race pride, and fierce social consciousness. A varied and valuable collection, "Black Moods" represents the recovery of a powerful and distinctive voice and a marvelous enrichment of African American poetry.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"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

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: University of Illinois Press (April 11, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0252027388
• ISBN-13: 978-0252027383
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,746,455 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.