Black Gold

Black Gold: an Anthology of Black Poetry is a highly original anthology of poems edited by Ja A. Jahannes and featuring works by a collective of more than 100 authors who span multiple generations. Theirs represent diverse voices from throughout communities of the African and Latino Diasporas. This powerful volume is very much in line with the 21st century canon of poetry anthologies exemplified by titles such as the Angles of Ascent Norton Anthology of Contemporary African-American Poets edited by Charles Henry Rowell. A notable difference is that Black Gold in fact includes a number of influential poets omitted from Angles of Ascent and for which the late Amiri Baraka was strongly critical of the book.Contributors to Black Gold range from such noted veteran authors of the historical Black Arts Movement as Sonia Sanchez, Marvin X Jackmon, Everett Hoagland, and the late Gil Scott-Heron to acknowledged contemporary wordsmiths like Nancy Mercado, Evie Shockley, Opal Palmer Adisa, Aberjhani, Mona Lisa Saloy, and Tony Medina. Much of the book’s appeal comes from the editor’s willingness to reach beyond the boundaries of officially-recognized academic black poets to spotlight individuals who are as unflinching in their bold literary gaze as they are fierce in their passionate dance with language.