Bessie’s Resurrection

This poetry collection weaves together the stories of three African American women–two historical figures, the third a fictional character–who share the same first name. From the ballads of blues-singer Bessie Smith, the triumphant flights of aviatrix Bessie Coleman, and the violence faced by Bessie Mears (from Richard Wright’s novel Native Son), these poems give voice and power to black women past, present, and future.