New and Collected Poems 1964-2007

One of the founding fathers of multi-cultural studies, Ishmael Reed first came to the attention of the literary world as a poet. Despite success as a novelist, playwright, essayist, and recording artist, has never ceased to write poetry, delving into waters spiritual and political with his own unexpected and uniquely powerful voice. New and Collected Poems, 1966-2006 captures four decades of Reed's inimitable vision, an ongoing journey from New York and Chattanooga to Africa, Oakland, and Japan. In language that is pointed but never hateful, innovative and profoundly optimistic, Reed weaves politics and war with Nigerian poetry and Jazz, all in the service of his continual redefinition of American Culture. New and Collected Poems, 1966-2006 also includes Reed's libretto, Gethsemane Park (a contemporary Yoruban interpretation of the New Testament), and his translation of an excerpt of Fungawa's Igbo Olodumare (The Forest of God), as well as several lyrics which have been recorded by artists ranging from Taj Majal to Bobby Womack and Little Jimmy Scott. In this important and long-awaited volume, one of America's most esteemed and intrepid poets, whose "Beware Do Not Read This Poem" has been cited by Gale Research as one of about 20 poems most frequently studied in literature courses, shows why he has helped expand our cultural forefront from the 1960s to today.

Ishmael Reed is the award-winning author of nine novels, plus numerous books of poetry, essays, plays, and an opera libretto. He lives in Oakland, California.