Question: where else would you possibly find a party that pulls together such compelling and disparate company as Charlie Parker, Jimi Hendrix, Richard Pryor, Liz Taylor, Tina Turner, and…Captain Ahab?
Answer: The Blackened Blues. Poetry, of course, is the only way we could get so many characters, many of whom are sadly no longer with us, all in one place at one time.
Question: what is The Blackened Blues?
Answer: the first installment of a large and ongoing project that explores the lives and legacies of some of my personal heroes who remain far less celebrated than they deserve to be. As it happens, many of them are musicians, hampered in various ways by discrimination, ranging from old fashioned racism to institutional and cultural indifference. Though there’s an elegiac sadness suffusing these poems, there’s also acknowledgment of defiant genius: they fought their battles bravely, in their art and in their lives. This collection seeks to capture something (or, hopefully, more than a few things) essential about their lives, bearing witness while also paying homage.
Question: Can I preview some of the poems?
Answer: Sure! You can see some of the pieces here, here, here, and here.
Question: What’s the word on the street?
Answer: According to Linda Flaherty Haltmaier, Poet Laureate of Andover, MA, “The Blackened Blues “throw[s] sparks at the darkness,” illuminating the complex lives of characters both real and imagined…spinning a collection of gritty yet lyrical poems that unmask the famous and infamous alike––seeking answers and at times, redemption for his subjects. At its core, this collection is an exploration of “the hot urgency of some holy inspiration.” How is it that the flames of creativity burn brightly in some while consuming others whole? These incandescent poems have some light to shed on the matter.
Question: How do I reserve an advanced copy?
Answer: Glad you asked. Go here and get one for yourself and a friend!
