Description
The signed first edition of Blues People: Negro Music In White America by LeRoi Jones, who later worked under the name Amiri Baraka.
Octavo, xii, 244pp. Black hardcover, white cloth spine, title stamped in black on spine. The first printing, with no additional printings noted on the copyright page. Foxing to cloth spine, offsetting to endpapers. Faint dampstain at head of spine, minimal internal impact. In the publisher’s dust jacket, $5.00 on front flap, foxing to verso, chipping at head of spine, notable shelf wear, a well worn example.
Signed on the title page: “To Miss Duncan McDonald / for a lovely interview – All Best / Leroi Jones.”
LeRoi Jones (1934?2014), later known as Amiri Baraka, was an American poet, playwright, and activist. Born in Newark, New Jersey, he became a leading figure in the Beat Movement before transitioning to Black nationalism and later Marxism. His works, including the play Dutchman (1964) and the poetry collection The Dead Lecturer (1964), explored themes of race, identity, and politics. In 1965, he founded the Black Arts Repertory Theatre/School, a cornerstone of the Black Arts Movement. Baraka’s writing and activism often sparked controversy for its confrontational tone, but he remained a significant voice in American literature and political discourse.
