Conversations with Lenard D. Moore: (Literary Conversations Series)

Known internationally for his Japanese-style poetry, Lenard D. Moore (b. 1958) has published eight poetry collections over the course of his career. Moore has distinguished himself especially in such forms as jazz poetry, haiku, tanka, renga, sequence, and haibun, expressing moments of aesthetic delight as well as a voice enriched with African American culture. Conversations with Lenard D. Moore is a fundamental collection of sixteen interviews with the esteemed writer and former president of the Haiku Society of America. To Moore, jazz is a joyful celebration of American life and culture. The impacts of great jazz musicians such as Max Roach, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, and Ray Charles are clear in his poetry. The conversations collected here lead the reader into Moore’s creative mind, demonstrating his fusion of African American music, culture, and history into poetry, especially his jazz poetry, jazzku, and bluesku. In interviews that range from 1995 to 2022, Moore reveals his capabilities and responsibilities as a contemporary poet, professor, mentor, editor, and organizer. This volume serves as an indispensable source for writers and readers of poetry and African American literature.

About the Author :
John Zheng is professor of English at Mississippi Valley State University and editor of African American Haiku: Cultural Visions; The Other World of Richard Wright: Perspectives on His Haiku; Conversations with Jerry W. Ward Jr.; Conversations with Dana Gioia; and Conversations with Sterling Plumpp and coeditor of Conversations with Gish Jen, all published by University Press of Mississippi.

Review :
This excellent book reveals deep insights into Lenard D. Moore's heart and mind, and his impressive body of work. Scholars will be well-informed, and poets and writers will feel both encouraged and inspired by this remarkable man. I highly recommend this book.--Jacob D. Salzer "Frogpond" Conversations with Lenard D. Moore offers an in-depth and illuminating exploration of a poet whose work bridges cultural traditions while forging new creative paths. Through these interviews, Moore's mastery of haiku and other Japanese poetic forms emerges as a deeply personal and innovative practice, blending African American heritage, musicality, and spirituality. His ability to adapt and transform traditional structures, particularly through jazzku, bluesku, and gospelku, underscores his role as both a literary innovator and cultural historian. John Zheng's carefully curated collection provides valuable insight into Moore's artistic evolution, reinforcing his significance within contemporary poetry.--C. Clark Triplett "Fireflies' Light" Moore underscores his use of such sonic effects as assonance, onomatopoeia, and repetition but also syntax since 'For me, ' he says, 'a jazz poem improvises and bends language.' So, Zheng's extended parlay evokes from Moore his most intriguing remarks on a vital element of his poetry. Moore's perseverance in poetry has paid off, and Zheng's Conversations with Lenard D. Moore forms a capstone to Moore's career so far. But Moore has persevered, one learns from these interviews, because poetry is his daily life, and no doubt even without his late achievements, it would be rewarding.--Matthew Brennan "North of Oxford"