About the Book:Black Moods collects for the first time all of Frank Marshall Daviss extant published poems as well as his previously unpublished work. From sharp-edged sketches of Southside Chicagos urban landscape to the prismatic world that lay beneath Hawaiis placid surface, Daviss muscular poems blend social, cultural, and political concerns–always shaped by his promise to try to be as direct as good blues. John Edgar Tidwells introduction examines both Daviss poetry and his politics, presenting a subtle portrait of a complex writer devoted to exposing discriminatory practices and reaffirming the humanity of the common people.