A handsome illustrated edition of James Baldwin’s only poetry collection, Jimmy’s Blues
The enduring power of James Baldwin lies in the fact that each era discovers that he was writing not only about his own time, but about ours. Maya Angelou considered him a literary giant, and Toni Morrison credits him with liberating her as a writer, illustrating his impact and cementing his legacy as one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century. Now, this special gift edition brings his only published book of poetry to new life for both longtime admirers and a new wave of intergenerational readers.
Containing all poems from the original Jimmy’s Blues reissue, including “Staggerlee wonders,” “The giver (for Berdis),” and all poems from the limited-edition volume Gypsy, which was in production at the time of Baldwin’s death, this edition also includes 8 original black and white illustrations by Detroit based artist Sabrina Nelson that are sure to delight fans.
A professional artist for nearly 40 years, Nelson began immersing herself in Baldwin’s life and work in 2016, sketching him for years as part of her traveling exhibition, Frontline Prophet: James Baldwin. For ninety-one consecutive days she drew Baldwin from memory to capture his “essence,” later filling sketchbooks with portraits, ink studies, and reflections that evolved into large-scale paintings and mixed-media works. Her art has been exhibited at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, and the African American Art in Culture complex in San Francisco, among other institutions.
With a striking new jacketed cover and Nelson’s skillfully rendered sketches, this keepsake edition of Jimmy’s Blues offers readers a beautifully reimagined experience of Baldwin’s poetry.
