A Research on the Neglected Poet, James A. Emanuel (1921-2013)

Abstract

James A. Emanuel (1921-2013) was a prolific poet in the postmodern and postcolonial periods of American poetry and he published more than 300 poems, 13 books, and other publications. However, there are only few research on Emanuel compared to what he had accomplished during his life time. Among the genres, it is remarkable that Emanuel composed haiku as well as jazz haiku. What Emanuel tried to deliver through his haiku is that he aimed at resisting against the racial injustice. However, the American academia neglected Emanuel although his writings dealt with important issue in America. Emanuel is evaluated not just as a poet but a person who did more than that. Therefore, this paper will examine Emanuel’s JAZZ from the Haiku King in terms of Emanuel’s unique style of haiku as well as jazz haiku why Emanuel created haiku, what does jazz haiku implies to the African American as well as the others.