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From the creator of the Black National Anthem, James Weldon Johnson, comes a tribute to African American religious expression and history with God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse. Featuring seven free-verse biblically inspired poems, this critically acclaimed collection celebrates the rhythm, heart, and soul of the Black preacher and his church.
About the author
James Weldon Johnson was born on June 17, 1871, in Jacksonville, Florida, to James Johnson and Helen Louise Dillet. He attended Atlanta University, earning his Bachelor of Arts in 1894. After graduation, he returned to Jacksonville to serve as principal of Stanton College Preparatory School.In 1900, Johnson wrote the lyrics for "Lift Every Voice and Sing," with music composed by his brother, J. Rosamond Johnson; this song became known as the Black National Anthem. He also authored The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man in 1912 and God's Trombones in 1927. His literary contributions significantly influenced the Harlem Renaissance.Johnson joined the NAACP in 1917 and became its executive secretary in 1920, serving until 1930. He was a prominent civil rights activist, advocating for anti-lynching legislation and equal rights. In 1934, he became the first African American professor at New York University.
Summary
“The old time Negro preacher of parts was above all an orator, and in good measure an actor. He knew the secret of oratory, that at the bottom of it is a progression of rhythmic words more than anything else. …He often possessed a voice that was a marvelous instrument, a voice he could modulate from a sepulchral whisper to a crashing thunder clap. …At such time his language was not prose but poetry. It was from memories of such preachers there grew the idea of this book of poems.”Featuring seven-free verse biblically inspired poems, God’s Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse is a brief, yet powerful, critically acclaimed collection that celebrates the oratorical talent of the “old time” Black preacher; the rhythm and lyricism of his words, as well as the heart and soul of his church. Beginning with the preliminary call to prayer “Listen Lord” and ending with “The Judgement Day,” Johnson leads readers on a literary journey that showcases the collision of Black life and Black art within the realm of Christianity.Inspired by both his childhood memories of listening to sermons and a desire to pay tribute to the work of Black preachers, God’s Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse is James Weldon Johnson’s exciting exploration of African American religious expression and history.
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