Firespitter

A publication anticipated for over a decade . . . superheroic.

At nearly seven-hundred pages, the anthology is not simply a cursory glance or “greatest” hits of Cortez’s practice, but functions as a physical reminder of the poet’s prolific output and her claim to be counted among the Black Arts Movement’s defining voices, belatedly shelved beside her peers—Nikki Giovanni, Sonia Sanchez, Amiri Baraka—where she always should have been.

A poet and performance artist whose work was known for its visceral power, its political outrage and above all its sheer, propulsive musicality.

It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to say that most, if not almost all, of what we know as poetry-in-performance descended from Cortez’s dedication to poetry off the page, to poetry in music and as music.

The dynamic, vibrant work of poet, activist, and artist Jayne Cortez (1934–2012) is gathered in this comprehensive collection. Spanning 43 years and representing a wide range of Cortez’s creative eras, each section illuminates how expansive and genre-bending the poet’s extraordinary body of work remained over the decades . . . remarkable.

Her speaker is so deeply embodied, and her poems are so disobedient . . .  You get this whirling vision of all he liberation struggles Cortez was directly involved in, from the Watts Rebellion to the anti-apartheid movement. Her poetry is, amongst other things, an amazing record of the times, of what political engagement looks like.

[Cortez’s] sharp understanding of American oppression and incisive political mind have much to offer in our current moment, making this book far more than an act of archival reclamation. This is living poetry.

Ingenious.

At just over 640 pages, this book cements the legacy of Jayne Cortez as one of the greatest poets to ever come out of Los Angeles.