Livin' the Blues: Memoirs of a Black Journalist and Poet (Wisconsin Studies in Autobiography)
The memoirs of Frank Marshall Davis (1905-87) offer a fascinating view of early 20th - century America from the perspective of a gifted African American writer. Struggling against the restrictions of racisim, Davis, in his fight for self-esteem, developed a powerful voice as a journalist and a poet. Davis, the journalist, wrote for several major African American newspapers, serving as an advocate for the black voice in both art and society. Davis, the poet, published four volumes of poetry. His love of language and his poetic voice shine through in this creative representation of his life as a blues narrative. Woven into his life story is a vivid portrayal of African American cultural history of the 1930s and 1940s. Using the language of the jazz age, Davis integrates the history of jazz with his own developing sense of racial pride. His autobiography is an important addition to the recovery of significant American voices and belongs in most libraries.- Judy Solberg, Univ. of Maryland Libs., College ParkCopyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.