From Robert Hayden to Rita Dove, this volume is a useful guide to contemporary African-American poetry. Harold Bloom was awarded the 1999 Gold Medal for Belles Lettres and Criticism by the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

- Brings together the best criticism on the most widely read poets, novelists, and playwrights- Presents complex critical portraits of the most influential writers in the English-speaking world--from the English medievalists to contemporary writers- Introductory essay by Harold Bloom