"A close and unsentimental look at this rich and enduring form and a deep and continuing questioning of its possibilities for more formal expression."--John McCluskey Jr., American Literature "Steven Tracy knows very well both the blues and Langston Hughes's poetry. His study leaves us with a far better understanding of the role of Black music, and the blues in particular, as the central influence on the most original of Black American poets."--Arnold Rampersad, author of The Life of Langston Hughes "Classic."--Tony Bolden, author of Groove Theory: The Blues Foundation of Funk.