SOURCE: "Can't Even Write: The Blues and Ethnic Literature," in MELUS, Vol. 10, No. 1, Spring, 1983, pp. 7-14.

In the following essay, Oliver contends that there is no interrelationship between blues music and black literature, for, as Oliver illustrates, while it is true that many black poets imitate the structure and content of blues songs, cultural and economic barriers prevent most blues singers from acquiring even an awareness of black poetry.

Lord, the reason why baby, I been so long writin' to you
 I say, the reason why baby, I been so long writin' to you,
 Because I been studyin' so hard, Lord how to sing these blues.

Sleepy John Estes' verse may not summarize the whole issue of the relationship between ethnic song and literature, but it does give us a hint of where the folk composer's priorities lie. Estes was a blues singer from Brownsville, Tennessee, one of...