Synopses & Reviews
Covering 46 poets from more than two centuries of African American literary history, this biocritical dictionary is an important contribution to any reference collection. The poets are situated within their historical and literary context, and for each a brief biographical sketch is given, with information on the poet's personal history, education, influences, and accomplishments. Each entry examines the poet's work as a whole, with a discussion of selected important poems and their recurrent themes. Students and interested readers will gain a good appreciation for the stylistic features and artistic contributions made by these African American poets. For further research, each essay concludes with a list of the poet's published book-length works, anthologies where their poetry appears, and information on reference resources.
Review
An addition to the still limited bibliography of African-American literature is always welcome. One that concentrates only on poetry is particularly welcome....Most libraries, except the smallest, will want to add this book to their other sources on African-American Literature.Reference &User Services Quarterly
Review
A comprehensive snapshot of African-American poets and poetry from the 18th century to the present....The scope and depth of this book make it extremely useful.School Library Journal
Review
This book is a clear and understandable resource for students in high school and college to use to begin a research project on any of the poets....useful for school and public libraries.Booklist
Review
Including representative poets from the Revolutionary period to the present day and identifying the writers' themes and artistic concerns, Pettis provides an excellent succinct and comprehensive reference for teachers and mature students of poetry.VOYA
Synopsis
Seminal poets from major poetry movements are presented in this biocritical dictionary.
About the Author
JOYCE PETTIS is Professor of English at North Carolina State University, where she teaches courses in African American Literature. She is the author of numerous articles on Margaret Walker, Charles Chestnutt, and others, and of the award winning Toward Wholeness in Paule Marshall's Fiction.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Ai (1947-)
Angelou, Maya (1928-)
Baraka, Amiri (1934-)
Bontemps, Arna (1902-1973)
Brooks, Gwendolyn (1917-2000)
Brown, Sterling (1901-1989)
Clifton, Lucille (1936-)
Coleman, Wanda (1946-)
Cortez, Jayne (1936-)
Cullen, Countee (1903-1946)
Derricotte, Toi (1941-)
Dove, Rita (1952-)
Dunbar, Paul Laurence (1872-1906)
Eady, Cornelius (1954-)
Evans, Mari (no date-)
Giovanni, Nikki (1943-)
Hammon, Jupiter (1811-1896?)
Harper, Frances Ellen Watkins (1824-1911)
Harper, Michael S. (1938-)
Hayden, Robert (1913-1980)
Horton, George Moses (1797-1883?)
Hughes, Langston (1902-1968)
Johnson, Georgia Douglas (1886-1966)
Johnson, James Weldon (1871-1938)
Jordan, June (1936-)
Knight, Etheridge (1931-1991)
Komunyakaa, Yusef (1947-)
Lorde, Audre (1934-1992)
Mackey, Nathaniel (1947-)
Madhubuti, Haki (1942-)
McElroy, Colleen J. (1936-)
McKay, Claude (1889-1948)
Miller, E. Ethelbert (1950-)
Moss, Thylias (1954-)
Nelson, Marilyn (1946-)
Randall, Dudley (1914-)
Reed, Ishmael (1938-)
Rodgers, Carolyn (1945-)
Sanchez, Sonia (1934-)
Tolson, Melvin B. (1900-1966)
Toomer, Jean (1894-1967)
Troupe, Quincy (1943-)
Walker, Margaret Abigail (1915-1998)
Wheatley, Phillis (1753-1784)
Wright, Jay (1935-)
Young, Al (1939-)
Selected Anthologies