Drawingfromallsixofhiscollections,TheSelectedShepherdoffersanewretrospectiveontheworkofanimportantandsometimescontroversialBlack,gaypoet.Althoughwellknownforhiseroticpoemsaboutwhitemen,Shepherdalsowroteconsistentlyaboutthenaturalworldanditsendangermentandhisgriefoverhismother’sdeath.Presentedinbothpublicationorderandtheorderinwhichtheyoriginallyappearedwithineachcollection,thesepoemshighlightthemostimportantthemesofShepherd’swork,alongwithbothhispredictabilityandunpredictabilityasapoet.JerichoBrown’sintroductionprovidesadditionalcontextandinsightonthelifeandworkofthiscomplex,groundbreakingfigureinAmericanpoetry.
