Black Moods

Black Moods collects for the first time all of Frank Marshall Daviss extant published poems as well as his previously unpublished work. From sharp-edged sketches of Southside Chicagos urban landscape to the prismatic world that lay beneath Hawaiis placid surface, Daviss muscular poems blend social, cultural, and political concerns--always shaped by his promise to try to be as direct as good blues. John Edgar Tidwells introduction examines both Daviss poetry and his politics, presenting a subtle portrait of a complex writer devoted to exposing discriminatory practices and reaffirming the humanity of the common people.