George, Nelson, Post-Soul Nation: The Explosive, Contradictory, Triumphant, and Tragic 1980s as Experienced by African Americans (Previously Known as Blacks and before That Negroes), Viking, 2004.

George characterizes the era that was the 1980s in terms of the African American experience, with extensive reference to a wide variety of aspects of popular culture, including music, television, and literature.

Komunyakaa, Yusef, Blue Notes: Essays, Interviews, and Commentaries, University of Michigan Press, 2000.

This text offers a sampling of writings by Komunyakaa (to whom Young has been compared) with respect to his influences, his own poetry, and his artistic sensibilities.

Wald, Elijah, Escaping the Delta: Robert Johnson and the Invention of Blues, Amistad, 2004.

This historical work examines in extensive detail the inception of the blues and offers a short biography of Robert Johnson, one of the genre's most influential figures.

Young, Kevin, ed., Blues Poems, Knopf, 2003.

This collection offers...