1970 typescript of poems from 18 year old Black poet from Albion, Michigan
Albion, MI: Al Grover Armstrong, 1970. 19 pp. poetry typescript with cover sheet entitled "The Essence of Suicide, February-March 1970" with short typed note from a teacher named Howard Silver to Donald Petesch, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh who taught poetry composition and author composition classes as well as literature courses in Black Studies, etc. Silver is enclosing the typescript because Petesch had expressed interest in the author, an eighteen year old Black poet from Albion Michigan, but writes, "Unfortunately, thexe included works do not represent him as well as others I have seen and will be printing (at least I would like to think so, since these included poems, with the exception of "Blood" and "Freedom," have been refused by my staff). Just the same, I think they are all quite good and show much promise. Hope you enjoy them." The poems do indeed show a lot of talent, especially in someone so young, particularly the 6 pp. poem, "Black Artist in a White Painting." Perhaps it was due to Petesch's efforts that other poems by Armstrong, not included in this group, found their way into the Pitt-sponsored Black Studies journal "Black Lines" which printed some of Armstrong's work in the journal's second number (Winter 1970). There, Armstrong is described as "a young eighteen year old poet from Albion Michigan, 'a small factory town with lots of racial tension' He has been writing since he was fifteen and has since put together six complete collections of poems." One of the poems is typed on the back of a purple ditto advertising the meeting of the Black Political Society at 111 Oswego in Albion (August 23, 1970), speaking to the racial tension Armstrong had observed. Not much is known about Armstrong's life or movements in the ensuing years. There is a poignant online query dated 2013 from his relatives in Michigan seeking information on his whereabouts; he hadn't been seen in Albion since 1972; and one of the responses cited an address in Boston that matched name and age, but the family members replied that attempts to reach the person at that address hadn't worked. Very good. Item #H39030
Price: $450.00