Amiri Baraka: The Liar

First published in Poetry, December 1963. Included in Vox Populi for noncommercial educational purposes only.

Amiri Baraka (1934 – 2014), previously known as LeRoi Jones and Imamu Amear Baraka, was an American writer and poet. Baraka’s career spanned nearly 50 years, and his themes range from the political to the personal. His work has often been controversial, attracting both high praise and condemnation. In the African-American community, he is recognized as one of the most respected writers of his generation.