Every Shut Eye Ain't Asleep: An Anthology of Poetry by African Americans Since 1945

by Michael S. Harper (Editor), Anthony Walton (Editor)

Every Shut Eye Ain't Asleep is a rich collection of the work of post-World War II African-American poets. It brings together the voices of the most important African-American poets of our time, beginning with the highly influential Robert Hayden and Gwendolyn Brooks, and covers an astonishing range of styles and techniques.

This extraordinary body of poetry is the flowering of an artistic tradition established earlier in this century by Paul Laurence Dunbar, Countee Cullen, and Langston Hughes. The newer work comprises many different visions, ranging from the chiseled and layered modernism of Jay Wright to the plainspoken ferocity of Sonia Sanchez, from the dazzling witticisms of Ishmael Reed to the plangent lyricism of Rita Dove. Edited by the distinguished poet Michael Harper and his star student and colleague Anthony Walton, this notable collection of work will be the standard anthology in the field for years to come.

Genres: Poetry

344 pages, Paperback

First published February 8, 1994

Reviews

[Destiny Esper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book of written art/poetry. I thoroughly enjoyed the diverse nature of the poetry. There are poems written about everything from slavery, racism, music ... you name it. I'm so glad I purchased a hardback version, because I'll be keeping this book forever.

[Ashley]

I read this book for my African American Lit II class. I enjoyed reading all the different poems by the numerous amount of authors. There were some poems that were hard to understand & had to be broken down in class. But overall I did enjoy this book of poems. I'm not one for reading poems but since this was African American poems I did find it interesting.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite African American poetry anthology because it covers so much from so many different perspectives. I read it for a class in college years ago and it touched me so strongly I still pick it up all the time when I'm in the mood for a good poem.

[Natalie T.]

A compelling collection of poetry written by Black authors between 1945 and 1992 (approximately 50 years—the anthology was published in 1994). Defending the necessity of this volume, editor Michael Harper noted that in prominent recent collections, boldly entitled CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN POETRY by their (white male) editors, “at most one black is featured.” (At most? A literal token?)

Harper remedies the omissions by opening his collection with two brilliant, utterly accessible poets, Robert Hayden and Pulitzer Prize-winner Geraldine Brooks, and then goes on to feature 33 more worthy choices, including Derek Walcott, Sonia Sanchez, Imamu Amiri Baraka, Audre Lorde, Lucille Clifton, Yusef Komunyakaa, Rita Dove, and Cornelius Eady. My only complaint is the absence of the legendary June Jordan. 300-plus pages of great reading; highly recommended.

[Danna]

I purchased this book at APL's Recycled Reads store, so it's on the poetry bookshelf. I feel lucky, living in a bibliophile neighborhood.