Praise for Slade's Poetry "Dr. Leonard A. Slade, Jr., is a gifted poet. His poems that deal with social issues reflect the complexity of people and relationships, as well as highlight some very troubling contemporary problems. Slade's poetry is truly a healing work of art." - Sandra M. Grayson Professor of English University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee "The beauty of Slade's poetry is the adequacy of their feeling and the fine images he discovers for their expressions. His poetry is a rich addition to our literary stores." - Houston A. Baker, Jr. Distinguished Professor of English Vanderbilt University "In spare, unpretentious verse Slade asks us to think about racism, history, love, the beauty of nature, the homeless, old teachers, young daughters, political hypocrisy - - and more. These are splendid, moving poems." -Elizabeth Ammons Former Dean The College of Arts and Sciences Tufts University "Dr. Leonard A. Slade, Jr.'s poetry presents a historical panorama of American blacks. His poems cover a range of subjects. They reflect the poet's values: family, education, love, nature, the history of blacks in the U.S., hypocrisy, and politics. Slade is a new breed of black poet." - R. Baird Shuman Professor Emeritus of English University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Leonard A. Slade, Jr., is Professor Emeritus, former Director of the Humanistic Studies Doctoral Program and the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies Program, Collins Fellow, and Citizen Academic Laureate at the University at Albany (SUNY). He has published in many journals and magazines and is the author of twenty-one books of poetry. He studied poetry with Pulitzer Prize winners Donald Justice and Stephen Dunn. For several summers, Slade studied poetry at Bennington College, Vermont; at The Bread Loaf Writers' Workshop, Middlebury College, Vermont; at The Martha's Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing in Fiction and Poetry; and at The Ragdale Artists' Colony, Lake Forest, Illinois. The recipient of many awards for his writing, teaching, and service, Slade has taught English and Africana Studies at the University at Albany (SUNY), Skidmore College, Union College, and RPI. He lives with his wife in Albany, New York.

Poems of humor, protest, love and wonder, by one of America's most original voices.

Freedom from Yourself: Selected Poems from Divan Shams Tabrizi is a guide written to help set us free from our ignorance and the prison of our minds which keeps us occupied in misery, fear, and guilt. Rumis teaching is based on the foundations of Sufifism which is divine love, worship, simplicity and moderation, goodness, consciousness of God, humbleness, and tolerance. The most celebrated relationship in Rumis spiritual development was with Shams Tabrizi, whom he met in Konya. Through their spiritual teamwork, they enlightened many people and also influenced all the centuries which followed. This guide was written to help people reach their ultimate goal of attaining Nirvanaa state of mind when all our desires subside and we live in total harmony, peace, serenity and total stillness of the mind. it represents the final goal of Buddhism. Freedom from Yourself enables everyone to go deeper into the meaning of Shams Tabrizis poems and to apply them directly to the everyday problems we can encounter.

A selection of well-known and rare poems from the great experimental poet.

A selection of poems by celebrated poet Gillian Conoley that spans her arresting body of work: from the idiosyncrasies of Texas girlhood toward an encompassing inquiry into spirit and matter, individual and state.

From "I Am a Black Man" I am a Black man my history written with blood some sweet songs of sorrow are composed for my soul and I can be seen plowing in the fields Can be heard humming in the night In these poems of celebration and endurance, Leonard A. Slade Jr. addresses the human need to be connected not only to the physical "now," but also to the other lives and other music we pass through during our lives. Slade's unique voice exposes the sweetness, the sorrow, and the humor of life's celebrations and struggles, but above all is the importance of love and the reliance on God and in faith for transcendence. These are poems to help us to endure, to grow, and to triumph.