Abiodun Oyewole of The Last Poets publishes his first poetry collection that reflects the nakedness of our times
[/trx_title][trx_title type=”5″ align=”center” font_size=”18pt” position=”top”]NAKED, A New Poetry Collection by Abiodun Oyewole
Introduction by Lyah Beth LeFlore[/trx_title]
Abiodun Oyewole, a founding member of The Last Poets, is publishing his first poetry book, NAKED, A New Poetry Collection. With a riveting introduction by producer and Bestselling author, Lyah Beth LeFlore, NAKED unveils Oyewole’s thoughts on self-love, forgiveness, lost love, survival and cultural identity. NAKED is scheduled to publish November 1, 2020, and is available for pre-order on major online outlets.
Oyewole is best known for his affiliation with the spoken word group, The Last Poets, which was founded on May 19, 1968 on Malcolm X’s birthday. Having recently celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their self-titled album of 1970, the group’s message, which is deeply rooted in Black Nationalism, is credited with the development of rap and hip-hop. “Back then, our founding reflected the radicalism of the day,” says Oyewole. “We were angry and had something to say, and used raw language that blew up in your face. What surprises me is that fifty years later, not much has changed, and that the anger over George Floyd’s murder and the escalation of Black Lives Matter into an international movement has made The Last Poets’ material more relevant than ever.”
Known for his fiery and revolutionary voice in The Last Poets, in recent years, Oyewole began publishing his work. “Being a member of The Last Poets has certainly provided me a foundation that helped pave the way for my own work,” says Oyewole. “I am at a point in my life where I want people to learn about Abiodun Oyewole the writer and the poet, on my own terms.” Oyewole has published a number of books, beginning with the seminal Branches of The Tree of Life, The Collected Poems of Abiodun Oyewole, 1969-2013 (2014). He served as editor of Black Lives Have Always Mattered, A Collection of Essays, Poems, and Personal Narratives (2017) that features 79 contributors, followed by The Beauty of Being, A Collection of Fables, Short Stories & Essays (2018). This body of work set the stage for NAKED, Oyewole’s first poetry collection.
In NAKED, Oyewole’s writing is straight-forward, engaging, and intense, with the poems taking on the shape of various emotions. Inspired by the “naked poetry” of Juan Ramón Jiménez, NAKED is rooted in a natural state devoid of all external adornment, turning sensations into concepts that express the concrete realization of nature itself. Stripped of extraneous matter, Oyewole masterfully incorporates treatments of the natural world into his work. “If you are a real poet,” says Oyewole, “nature is a natural connection.” It is why Oyewole often turns to the symbolism of the tree, reflected by the cover art of this volume, which also happens to be one of his paintings.
Written in free form, the brief transcendental poems of NAKED never strays too far from Oyewole’s roots as it draws on Yoruba myths, and the political and historical issues that reflect his sensibility through an African American lens. He eloquently presents a life cycle of joy, pain, loss, aging and even death, pointing to our collective nakedness. As LeFlore notes in her introduction, “The poetry up in here is a universal thang, ya’ll. No barriers. It don’t discriminate against age, color, religion, or sexual orientation. This is that real deal ‘Hollyfied.’” Ultimately, NAKED succeeds in conveying the character of Oyewole, who has evolved into a master poet of his generation.
Pre-order available on major online outlets. ISBN: 978-1-734618105 (Print), 186 pages. List price: $16.99. ISBN: 978-1-734618136 (ebk), $6.99. To order review or exam copies call (773) 702-7109 or email orders@press.uchicago.edu. For book reviews, interviews or speaking engagements: gdavid@2leafpress.org.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: ABIODUN OYEWOLE, a founding member of The Last Poets, is the author of The Beauty of Being (2018), editor of Black Lives Have Always Mattered (2017), author of the seminal Branches of the Tree of Life: The Collected Poems of Abiodun Oyewole 1969-2013 (2014), and is the co-author of On A Mission: Selected Poems and A History of The Last Poets (1996). He received his BS in biology and BA in communications at Shaw University, completed his PhD in education at Columbia University, and is a Columbia Charles H. Revson Fellow (1989). www.abiodunoyewole.net
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
LYAH BETH LEFLORE is a television and film executive, producer, music supervisor, and the author of eight critically-acclaimed books, two of which are National Bestsellers. She is the author of the novels Wildflowers (2009), and Last Night A DJ Saved My Life (2006); and recently the co-author of Tell the Truth & Shame the Devil: The Life, Legacy, and Love of My Son Michael Brown (2020) by Lezley McSpadden. LeFlore recently established the Shirley Bradley LeFlore Foundation, a literary arts based organization with a specific outreach to women and artists of color, named in honor of her mother, who was St. Louis Poet Laureate and a top influencer in poetry and performance.
