In honor of Veteran’s Day, we present this remarkable collection of historical poetry: Frank X Walker reimagines the experience of Black Civil War soldiers who enlisted in the Union army in exchange for emancipation. He also brings to life his own ancestors who, among so many others, fought for freedom.

For decades the celebrated poet Frank X Walker has reclaimed essential American lives through his pathbreaking historical poetry. In this stirring new collection, intimate yet expansive, he moves chronologically from antebellum Kentucky through Reconstruction. He braids the voices of the United States Colored Troops with the concerns and cries of their family members, the voices of slave owners with the words of such prominent historical figures as Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglas, and Margaret Garner. While carefully attuned to the heartbreak and horrors of war, Walker’s poems pay equal care to the pride, perseverance, and triumphs of their speakers. Evoking the formerly enslaved General Charles Young, Walker hums: “I am America’s promise, my mother’s song, / and the reason my father had every right to dream.” Don’t miss hearing Walker read his poetry and his illustrated presentation illuminating the history behind Load in Nine Times, a resounding ode to the powerful ties of individual and cultural ancestry.
 

Frank X Walker is the author of thirteen poetry collections. He was named the 2013 Kentucky poet laureate and is cofounder of the Affrilachian Poets. He resides in Lexington, Kentucky.

Signed copies of the book are available through our partners at Porter Square Books. Use this link and input the code AMINSP24 on the order page. Books sent after the event.

Presented in partnership with Boston Public Library.

Special Thanks to American Inspiration Series Sponsors Susan K. and John D. Thompson