Poetry. African American Studies. "If you haven't read Jayne Cortez you're missing some of the best that life has to offer. Here is always a compelling voice of fire and freedom. Her surrealism-the hottest on record. If you think you're a revolutionary, read Jayne Cortez and you'll be ten times more revolutionary"-Franklin Rosemont, Surrealism. Noted performer and poet Cortez is the author of twelve books of poems, among them Scarification and Mouth on Paper, and has performed her poetry with music on nine recordings. Her awards include the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York Foundation of the Arts, the International African Festival Award, the American Book Award, and the Langston Hughes Award. Her latest CD recordings with her band The Firespitters are Taking the Blues Back Home and Find Your Voice. "Jayne Cortez understands beter than most how to make spoken words and images swing and rock"-Gene Seymour, Newsday.