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Wheel and Come Again: An Anthology of Reggae Poetry

The beat and language of reggae arose from the Jamaican countryside and the sidewalks of Kingston, but they're basic for the poets represented in Wheel and Come Again . This remains true even though the poets' personal worlds range from the street to the university and from the tropics to Toronto, New York, and London. Wheel and Come Again features works by 28 poets of Caribbean origin; some remain in the islands, and others have migrated to North America and Britain. The book includes works by Canadian poets such as Rachel Manley, Afua Cooper, Lillian Allen, Olive Senior, and Clifton Joseph; UK poets including Linton Kwesi Johnson and Jean "Binta" Breeze; US writers Rohan B. Preston, Fred d'Aguiar, and others; and Island poets such as Anthony MacNeill and Lorna Goodison.

184 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1998

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About the author

Kwame Dawes

124 books185 followers
Born in Ghana in 1962, Kwame Dawes spent most of his childhood and early adult life in Jamaica . As a poet, he is profoundly influenced by the rhythms and textures of that lush place, citing in a recent interview his "spiritual, intellectual, and emotional engagement with reggae music." His book Bob Marley: Lyrical Genius remains the most authoritative study of the lyrics of Bob Marley.

His 11th collection of verse, Wisteria: Poems From the Swamp Country, was published in January 2006. In February, 2007 Akashic Books published his novel, She's Gone and Peepal Tree Books published his 12th collection of poetry, Impossible Flying, and his non-fiction work, A Far Cry From Plymouth Rock: A Personal Narrative.

His essays have appeared in numerous journals including Bomb Magazine, The London Review of Books, Granta, Essence, World Literature Today and Double Take Magazine.

In October, 2007, his thirteenth book of poems, Gomer's Song will appear on the Black Goat imprint of Akashic Books. Dawes has seen produced some twenty of his plays over the past twenty-five years including, most recently a production of his musical, One Love, at the Lyric Hammersmith in London .

Kwame Dawes is Distinguished Poet in Residence, Louis Frye Scudder Professor of Liberal Arts and Founder and executive Director of the South Carolina Poetry Initiative. He is the director of the University of South Carolina Arts Institute and the programming director of the Calabash International Literary Festival, which takes place in Jamaica in May of each year.

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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Profile Image for Fátima López Sevilla.
283 reviews22 followers
November 10, 2014
I've always said that I don't like poetry but that I go to music because of the lyrics, which I find a bit contradictory. Maybe the fact is that for me poetry has to be read aloud, recited, so its inner rhythm can surface.

That's why this book made so much sense to me. With pieces written almost phonetically, reflecting the authors and the people they wanted to give voice to, this is a book to read aloud, to recite, to feel the beats of.

It feels short, but the biographies at the end of it allows our to-read and wish lists to grow even more.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews