Transbluesency: The Selected Poetry of Amiri Baraka/Leroi Jones (1961-1995)

Rating:
Summary: Free verse is not poetry, but . . .
Review: Amiri Baraka is the most rhythmically fascinating of all free verse writers. One sees a genius at work, playing with words, tossing about images, sounds-- effortlessly.

Unlike most other free verse writers, Mr. Baraka actually gets under your skin. He doesn't talk about a red wheelbarrow or plums in a refrigerator. He shocks, like a John Coltrane solo. You can taste his lines. He writes of sex, violence, the ugly stench and the beautiful scent of life and death.

Mr. Baraka has always been a politically charged author. But his greatest achievement is his handling of rhythms, of the way words bounce off each other.

I'll take him over any other free verse writer of the past one hundred years.

Rating:
Summary: word beat
Review: Baraka's "Best Of..." collection is quite simply a must-read for any person with an interest in 20th century poetry. The words almost leap out against you when you open the book, and the language is mind-bending. Try to read these poems aloud to yourself, and you might just get the word-kick of a lifetime. Oop Bop Sh'Bam...

Rating:
Summary: word beat
Review: Baraka's "Best Of..." collection is quite simply a must-read for any person with an interest in 20th century poetry. The words almost leap out against you when you open the book, and the language is mind-bending. Try to read these poems aloud to yourself, and you might just get the word-kick of a lifetime. Oop Bop Sh'Bam...

Rating:
Summary: The Life of a Revolutionary Poet
Review: This book is not for those sensitive to raw material. But if you're a fan of Mr. Baraka, this book is a 40-year collection, and a definite must for your bookshelf. In the words of Mr. Baraka, "Can you stand such beauty? So violent and transforming." This line from his poem "Return of the Native" encompasses all that is Transbluency. This book is for the true fan of protest poetry. Mr. Baraka uses blues and jazz rhythms as well as the natural essence of words to express himself in amazing ways. I enjoy this book not only because I am a fan, but because it is rare to find a poet who has mastered the art of poetic language and imagery.