A richly illustrated, deeply personal search for a poetic forebear by an acclaimed American poet. The second book in Wave’s Bagley Wright Lecture series, showing off the series’s range. A compelling investigation of the life of Etheridge Knight, an influential but often enigmatic American poet. A personally grounded account of contemporary African-American arts and poetry, from the Black Arts Movement through to Cave Canem. A moving, line-by-line guide through a single poem by Etheridge Knight, showcasing the expansive personal, historic, and cultural resonances a single poem can evoke. Will publish close to the author’s next book of poems with Penguin, American Sonnets for my Past and Future Assassin, likely enjoying proximate publicity. Will publish during the author’s tenure as the poetry editor at New York Times Magazine.