Leadbelly: Poems - Paperback

by Tyehimba Jess (Author)

"It is exhilarating to be invited into a world so large and muscular, so rooted in history, a world where so much is at stake."--Brigit Pegeen Kelly, National Poetry Series judge

A biography in poems, leadbelly examines the life and times of the legendary blues musician from a variety of intimate perspectives and using a range of innovative poetic forms. A collage of song, culture, and circumstance, alive and speaking.

Tyehimba Jess' numerous awards include fellowships from the NEA and the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown. A native of Detroit, he is a proud alumnus of the Chicago Green Mill Slam teams and Cave Canem. His first nonfiction book is African American Pride: Celebrating our Achievements, Contributions, and Enduring Legacy (Citadel Press, 2003).

Author Biography

Tyehimba Jess' numerous awards include an NEA Literature Fellowship, a Winter Fellowship at the Fine Arts Work Center, and the 2001 Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Poetry Award. A native of Detroit, Jess is a proud alumni of the Chicago Green Mill Slam teams and Cave Canem. His book, African American Pride, was published by Citadel Press in 2003.