Langston Hughes (Voice of the Poet)
Grade 7-Up This new series provides listeners with archival  recordings by renowned 20th century poets, both of their own  works and their remarks about their lives and works. This volume  excels in the particular poems selected for inclusion and their  arrangement, the splices made between recording sessions which  allow for a unified hour, and the fact that Langston Hughes  discusses themes in his life and work which will resonate with  contemporary listeners and readers. The opening tracks feature  Hughes talking about his childhood and youth; each poem beyond  that is framed by his remarks on its genesis, place in his  canon, and connection to the personal, political, or artistic  world to which its content is related. Hughes was a comfortable  speaker, making this a particularly accessible recording for  youth. The paperback book includes the text of each poem as it  was published (but not necessarily as Hughes recites it) as well  as an introductory essay by poet and critic J. D. McClatchy.  This is a stellar choice for both public and school collections,  and should be brought to the attention of classroom teachers as  an outstanding supplement to the study of contemporary poetry  and/or social sciences.Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public  Library, CACopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.