Play Ebony Play Ivory

by Henry Dumas

Play Ebony Play Ivory by Henry Dumas,Edited by Eugene B. Redmond 1st Edition 1978 African American – Poetry Excelent condition with little pen writing on inner page Ex- New York Public Library Original dust cover (slightly worn)

Genres: Poetry

135 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1974

About the author

In April of 1968, at the age of thirty-three, Henry Dumas was shot and killed by a New York Transit Authority Policeman at 125th Street Station in a case of "mistaken identity." At the time of his death, he had already finished several manuscripts of poetry and short stories.

Dumas' poetry, short fiction, and novels have been published posthumously in large part due to the efforts of Eugene Redmond, Toni Morrison, and Quincy Troupe. Poetry for My People first appeared in 1970 and was later published as Play Ebony, Play Ivory. When Play Ebony, Play Ivory appeared in 1974, Julius Lester in the New York Times Book Review called Dumas "the most original Afro-American poet of the sixties." Dumas' first collection of short fiction, Arks of Bones and Other Stories, was first published in 1974. Redmond has also helped to bring out an unfinished novel, Jonah and the Green Stone (1976), as well as the collections Rope of Wind and Other Stories (1979), Goodbye, Sweetwater (1988), and Knees of a Natural Man: The Selected Poetry of Henry Dumas (1989). Authors including James Baldwin, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Maya Angelou have celebrated his writing for its mixture of natural and supernatural phenomena, music, beauty, and revolutionary politics.

Reviews

[David Trout · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this first in the library, found it ina store, and bought it. Not enough can be said about this author, and his gift to us of his words, thoughts, and dealing with the times he wrote in. This one poet has shaped who I am more then any other, execpt maybe e.e. cummings. I value mt copy, read it often, keep it handy to share. It will always be on my shelf.

[Markus · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's very sad that this book is out of print (you can get it on Archive.org if you want to read it anyways), because this volume contains spiritual, angry, melancholy and loathing poems of a quality that my limited knowledge of poetry acknowledges as high.

[Sameen Shakya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Play Ebony: Play Ivory by Henry Dumas is a poetry collection by the tragically short-lived poet. I came across Henry Dumas when reading about Toni Morrison who singlehandedly made sure Dumas's poems and stories were published when she heard that Dumas had been shot and killed by the police at the young age of 33.

The poems in this collection are ones that bleed for his people. Dumas cared. He cared so much about Black people and Black liberation and it's clear to see, reading his poems. It is clear to see why Morrison tried so hard to have him published.

Though his life ended far too soon, his words survived and I am glad to have read them.