Langston Hughes' poems celebrate the experience of invisible men and women: of slaves who 'brushed the boots of Washington'; of musicians on Lenox Avenue; of the poor and lovesick; of losers in 'the raffle of night.' They conveyed that experience in a voice that blended the spoken with the sung, that turned poetic lines into the phrases of jazz and blues, and that ripped through the curtain separating high from popular culture. The poems in this collection were chosen by Hughes himself shortly before his death and represent works from throughout his career. 297 pages, softcover.
