A ROCK AGAINST THE WIND: Black Love Poems

by Lindsay -- Ed. Patterson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1973

This is a superfluous collection of trite poetry attempting to exploit black chic. With few exceptions (Nikki Giovanni or June Jordan) the contributors are either also-rans or poets who seem more important to cultural history than to present-day readers (Claude McKay, Dudley Randall). Nor is ""black"" love poems an accurate description since this contains everything that is undesirable in its white counterpart -- conventional sentiments, hyperbole and rhetoric (words like ""fount"" and ""thrall"") and dura-de-rum rhymes: ""You are the very sun, the moon, The starlight of my soul,/ the sounding motif of my heart/ Its impetus and goal!"" Fortunately better anthologies exist -- for instance, Jordan's Soulscript (1970).

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1973

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Dodd, Mead

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1973

Categories: NONFICTION