Conversations with Michael S. Harper / edited by John Zheng and Michael Antonucci.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Harper, Michael S., 1938-2016

Contributor:

Zheng, Jianqing

Antonucci, Michael (Michael A.)

Series:

Literary conversations series

Literary Conversations Series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Harper, Michael S., 1938-2016--Interviews.

Harper, Michael S.

African American authors--Interviews.

African American authors.

Physical Description:

xxi, 202 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Jackson : University Press of Mississippi, 2026.

Summary:

Conversations with Michael S. Harper brings together fourteen interviews with one of the most innovative and influential voices in contemporary American poetry. A distinguished professor at Brown University and the author of fifteen poetry collections, Michael S. Harper (1938-2016) infused his work with the rhythms of jazz and blues, creating a lyrical space where Black history, culture, and spirituality converge. Spanning nearly four decades, these interviews offer a rare and intimate glimpse into Harper's creative process, intellectual rigor, and deep reverence for musical and literary traditions. For Harper, jazz was more than influence--it was structure, philosophy, and spirit. Whether discussing John Coltrane's sonic power or the enduring wisdom of Sterling Brown, Harper reveals how music helped shape his poetic voice and his vision of American life. This essential collection invites readers into conversation with a poet whose words continue to resonate across disciplines. A vital resource for scholars of American literature, African American studies, and poetry, Conversations with Michael S. Harper affirms the poet's role as both witness and celebrant--one who transformed sound into story, memory into meaning.

Contents:

Introduction

Chronology

Michael S. Harper

An Interview with Michael S. Harper

Interview with Michael S. Harper

History, Heartbeat, and Jazz: An Interview with Michael Harper

An Interview with Michael Harper

"Down Don't Worry Me": An Interview with Michael S. Harper

The Map and the Territory: An Interview with Michael S. Harper

Br'er Sterling and the Blues: An Interview with Michael S. Harper

Phraseology: An Interview with Michael S. Harper

So Hard to Live in the World: An Interview with Michael S. Harper

Office Hours: A Memoir and an Interview with Michael S. Harper

Michael S. Harper: An Interview with Michael Antonucci.

Notes:

Includes index.

ISBN:

9781496861610

1496861612

9781496861627

1496861620

OCLC:

1535036851