Furious Flower: African American Poetry from the Black Arts Movement to the Present.

Furious Flower: African American Poetry From the Black Arts Movement to the Present

Edited by Joanne V. Gabbin University of Virginia Press, April 2004 $59.59, ISBN 0-813-92252-6

This volume is a compilation from selected poets who were present during the 1994 Furious Flower Conference, held at James Madison University. The conference was organized by editor Joanne V. Gabbin to honor the fifty-five year literary career of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Gwendolyn Brooks. It received its name and inspiration from a brilliant fine in Brooks's poem, "The Second Sermon on the Warpland," which addresses the simultaneous beauty, tenacity and rage at the core of contemporary African American poetry: "This is the urgency: LIVE! / and have your blooming in the noise of the whirlwind."

Beginning with the late Ms. Brooks, the sequential presentation of poets allows the reader to walk through the historical development of modern African American poetics. The 47 poets span three generations and include many revered elders: Naomi Long Madgett, the late Raymond R. Patterson, and Lucille Clifton; established poets such as Toi Derricotte, Haki R. Madhubuti, Afaa Michael Weaver, and Rita Dove; and the strong, eclectic work of younger poets, such as John Keene, Natasha Trethewey, and Major Jackson.

It does not purport to be an exhaustive anthology of African American poetry; missing are some names one might expect to find in such an offering. Yet the title might lead one to expect an even more comprehensive roster.

Highlighting many of the contributions are expressive black-and-white photographs of the poets, rendered by photographer, Claudius B. Claiborne.

This seminal volume reflects who was present at the 1994 Conference. Perhaps another volume will follow the 2004 Furious Flower Conference.

Jacqueline Jones LaMon is a poet, novelist and associate instructor of English at Indiana University.