Furious Flower II: Roots and First Fruits

Subtitled “The Black Poetic Tradition, " the three-part Furious Flower II series is devoted to raising awareness of the contributions of African-American poets to American cultural life. This first program, Roots and First Fruits, introduces viewers to six contemporary authors--Houston Baker, Nikky Finney, Askia Toure, Rita Dove, Major Jackson, and Lucille Clifton, spanning two generations and coming from various backgrounds (it's interesting, for example, to hear Toure, who came out of the Black Power movement, talk about rap, or Finney explaining a poem with reference to her childhood experiences in the rural South). Each writer is interviewed separately about his or her life and work, with particular emphasis on the influences and historical circumstances that shaped their individual outlooks on life and helped form their modes of expression, and all read excerpts from their compositions, both directly to the camera and within the context of a symposium held at James Madison University in Virginia, whose Furious Flower Poetry Center sponsored the series. One's reaction to the verse will, of course, be highly personal, but serious students of poetry will appreciate these poets' dedication to their craft. The other two titles in the series are Cross-Pollination in the Diaspora and Blooming in the Whirlwind. Recommended, especially for larger modern American literature collections. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)