Jess, Tyehimba 2007; 2016
with A. Van Jordan
you got to have the wildweed and treebark boiled
and calmed, wating for his skin like a shining baptism
back into what he was before gun barrels and bars
chewed their claim in his hide and spit him
stumbling backwards into screaming sunlight.
– Tyehimba Jess, “martha promise receives leadbelly, 1935”
Listen to Tyehimba Jess’ 2007 reading with A. Van Jordan at the Poetry Center of Chicago:
Audio recording of the Poetry Center Reading Series featuring Tom Raworth, Diane di Prima, Kimiko Hahn, Eugene Gloria, Patricia Smith, Luis Rodriguez, Robert Bly, Brian Turner, Bruce Weigl, Tyehimba Jess, A. Van Jordan, Arielle Greenberg, Billy Corgan, Franz Wright, Czeslaw Milosz, Louise Glück, and Alicia Ostriker.
Buy this audio recording featuring Tyehimba Jess⇒
I sing this body ad libitum, Europe scraped raw between my teeth until, presto, “Ave Maria” floats to the surface from a Tituba tributary of “Swanee.” Until I’m a legatodarkling whole note, my voice shimmering up from the Atlantic’s hold; until I’m a coda of sail song whipped in salted wind…
– Tyehimba Jess, “Sissieretta Jones”
Watch an interview with Tyehimba Jess:
An Arts@UNH Interview with Poet Tyehimba Jess
Jess, a Detroit first book of poetry, leadbelly, was a winner of the 2004 National Poetry Series. The Library Journal and Black Issues Book Review both named it one of the “Best Poetry Books of 2005.”
Watch Tyehimba Jess read for the Chicago Poetry Center, with Aricka Foreman:
Six Points Reading Series
Poets Tyehimba Jess and Aricka Foreman are featured in an event hosted by the Poetry Center of Chicago and curated by Natasha Mijares. This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network (CAN TV).
Tyehimba Jess starts reading at 25:41.
