The Autobiography of a Jukebox: Poems

by Cornelius Eady

Presents a collection of poems, including "Money Won't Change It," "Rodney King Blues," and "Small Moments."

Genres: Poetry

75 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Like Joyce and Tolstoy, Cornelius Eady is an American writer focusing largely on matters of race and society, His poetry often centers on jazz and blues, family life, violence, and societal problems stemming from questions of race and class. His poetry is often praised for its simple and approachable language.

Reviews

[Jeff Crompton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poetry is poetry, not autobiography, but the first section of Eady's book, Home Front, is somewhat harrowing. The poems in that section all deal with his family, and they describe difficult people in difficult situations. The Home Front poems are also named after song titles, or slight variations on song titles. Autobiography of a Jukebox, indeed.

The second section is Rodney King Blues - poems about race in America. These are, understandably, pretty grim at times as well. The Bruise of the Lyric is a section with poems about musicians, and the final section of unrelated poems is called Small Moments.

Eady's poems are straightforward and unambiguous, for the most part. If many of them are dark, they are also moving.

[brendan brady · Rating 3 out of 5]

angry or frustrated poems of a prose nature. with love of music and a desire for change. preachy at times, and i tend to enjoy poetry with richer imagery, but no doubt a glimpse into a life and experience i wouldn’t have otherwise

[Corey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a powerful collection. It knocked me for a loop. The poem "Chuck Berry," alone is worth the price of admission.