$22.95

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Order AL YOUNG’s Latest

Like Harlem renaissance poet Langston Hughes, who first popularized the blues as a poetic form, California Poet Laureate Al Young has written about the blues, played the blues and drawn inspiration from the blues.

Something About the Blues uses the blues as a theme throughout 100 new and previously-published poems. Selections evoke the cold, hard city, love gone wrong and blues music itself, with tributes to Ma Rainey, Lena Horne and other notable performers.

Something About the Blues includes an audio CD with Al Young’s dynamic, soulful readings of more than 20 of the poems from the book, plus Langston Hughes’ reading of his classic “The Weary Blues.” Many of Young’s performances feature a live blues band.

Lillian Brummet’s Review from Curled Up with a Good Book

As a poet myself, I had a wonderful time reviewing Something About the Blues: An Unlikely Collection of Poetry by Al Young. The title probably already tipped you off to the fact that every one of the 120 poems has a relation to the blues, whether it is about the groupies, the gigs, the music itself, people who play it, or the lifestyle of those who live it. Most of the poems span two pages; occasionally a poem will reach as many as three pages or only one page in length. I appreciated the thoughtful choice of font size that is large and very easy on the eyes, allowing the reader to concentrate on the feeling the words invoke, rather than on trying to read them. The author also includes a 16-page short story near the center of the book entitled “Silent Parrot Blues.”

Young covers thoughts on society, music, genres of the blues, black culture and making love. He displays light humor in “Elevator Over the Hill,” and observations on life, people or situations in the city. I particularly enjoyed “April in Paris,” Potato Head Blues” and “You do All This For Love.” Some of the poetry opens with a setting for the piece or quotations.

The book is accompanied by an audio CD with roughly 25 live and studio performances of the poetry and music. It was a bit of a thrill for me to discover that a few of my favorite pieces in the book were also on the CD, allowing me to experience them in a whole new way. The CD is stored in a clear plastic envelope on the inside of the back cover.

The author uses intelligent language laden with feeling and evoking imagery in the reader’s mind; this is probably why he has been California’s poet laureate. Young also performed as a blues musician for a number of years. Those who love literacy, poetry, the music genre known as the blues, and fans of blues performers will certainly enjoy this book.

for Kim Palchikoff

In clumsy reaches, soft with solitude,
you touch me perfectly. Your kisses, wet
like dewy fingerprints, whorl around
and around and around my inner world.

Why have I loved you all this time,
sweet light? Why does the wine of you
still make me groan? While wild fires smoke
out what night means, you sway.

Moonlight, October-ripe, ablaze in Reno,
up late in Moscow, you rush hot skies.
Where push comes down to shove,
you glow, you love. You give back light.

Al Young

World Wide Word Radio Networks, hosted by Rafael Alvarado

Colleen J. McElroy reads from her earthy and reflective new book, Sleeping with the Moon (University of Illinois Press); Al Young reads from Something About the Blues (Sourcebooks/MediaFusion).
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/onword/2007/11/22/
The-Moe-Green-Poetry-Hour-Hosted-By-Rafael-FJ-Alvarado

Read Sharyn Skeeter’s Interview with Colleen J. McElroy