Ever since its first flowering in the 1920s, jazz has had a powerful influence on American poetry, and this scintillating anthology offers a treasury of poems as varied and vital as the music that inspired them. From the Harlem Renaissance to the Beat movement, from the poets of the New York school to the contemporary poetry scene, the jazz aesthetic has been a compelling literary force--one that Jazz Poems makes palpable. We hear it in the poems of Langston Hughes, e.e. Cummings, William Carlos Williams, Frank O'Hara, and Gwendolyn Brooks, and in those of Yusef Komunyakaa, Charles Simic, Rita Dove, Ntozake Shange, Mark Doty, and C.D. Wright. Here are poems that pay tribute to jazz's great voices, and poems that throb with the vivid rhythm and energy of the jazz tradition, ranging in tone from mournful elegy to sheer celebration.
Kevin Young
Kevin Young is a highly acclaimed poet, essayist, and editor known for his powerful and evocative works that explore themes of race, history, and identity. He has published numerous poetry collections, including "Jelly Roll: A Blues," which was a finalist for the National Book Award. Young's writing style is characterized by its lyricism, musicality, and depth of emotion. As the poetry editor of The New Yorker, he has championed diverse voices and perspectives in contemporary literature. His most famous work is "Brown," a collection that delves into the complexities of African American history and culture. Young's contributions to literature have earned him numerous accolades and awards, solidifying his reputation as a leading voice in American poetry.