Jimmy'sBluesandOtherPoems

AllofthepublishedpoetryofJamesBaldwin，includingsixsignificantpoemspreviouslyonlyavailableinalimitededitionDuringhislifetime(1924–1987)，JamesBaldwinauthoredsevennovels，aswellasseveralplaysandessaycollections，whichwerepublishedtowide-spreadpraise.Thesebooks，amongthemNotesofaNativeSon，TheFireNextTime，Giovanni’sRoom，andGoTellItontheMountain，broughthimwell-deservedacclaimasapublicintellectualandadmirationasawriter.However，Baldwin’searliestwritingwasinpoeticform，andBaldwinconsideredhimselfapoetthroughouthislifetime.Nonetheless，hissinglebookofpoetry，Jimmy’sBlues，neverachievedthepopularityofhisnovelsandnonfiction，andistheoneandonlybooktofalloutofprint.ThisnewcollectionpresentsJamesBaldwinthepoet，includingallnineteenpoemsfromJimmy’sBlues，aswellasallthepoemsfromalimited-editionvolumecalledGypsy，ofwhichonly325copieswereeverprintedandwhichwasinproductionatthetimeofhisdeath.Knownforhisrelentlesshonestyandstartlinglypropheticinsightsonissuesofrace，gender，class，andpoverty，Baldwinisjustasenlighteningandboldinhispoetryasinhisfamousnovelsandessays.Thepoemsrangefromtheextendeddramaticnarrativesof“Staggerleewonders”and“Gypsy”tothelyricalbeautyof“Somedays，”whichhasbeensettomusicandinterpretedbysuchacclaimedartistsasAudraMcDonald.NikkyFinney’sintroductoryessayrevealstheimportance，relevance，andrichrewardsoftheselittle-knownworks.Baldwin’smanydevoteeswillfindmuchtocelebrateinthesepages.