The Black Bard of North Carolina

April 1, 1997
Sherman (African-American Poetry of the Nineteenth Century, LJ 10/92) has culled 62 of the poems of George Moses Horton (ca. 1797-1883) from his three volumes: The Hope of Liberty (1829), the Poetical Works (1845), and Naked Genius (1865). She provides an in-depth introduction and biographical information that puts Horton in context, and she occasionally corrects errors of previous critics. Sherman also gives an insightful if brief analysis of his poetry. She particularly focuses on his connection with the University of North Carolina, where the self-educated Horton was campus poet for years. Because he was enslaved for 68 years, one of Horton's most powerful and poignant subjects is the desire for liberty, which was often cruelly snatched from him. Sherman's edition will aid in securing Horton's place as a significant 19th-century American poet. Recommended for larger poetry collections.--Louis J. Parascandola, Long Island Univ., Brooklyn