Black Music Is

Marcus Amaker is the first Poet Laureate of Charleston, South Carolina. His work has been recognized by the Kennedy Center, Edutopia, The Washington National Opera, The Portland Opera, Button Poetry, PBS Newshour, NPR, and others. In 2021, Amaker was named a Poet Laureate Fellow by the Academy of American Poets. He is the author of eight books, and his poetry has been interpreted for ballet, jazz, modern dance, opera and theater. A winner of a South Carolina Governor's Award, Amaker is also a recording artist, the graphic designer of the national music journal No Depression, the artist-in-residence of the Gaillard Center and the creator of the Free Verse poetry festival. Amaker lives in Charleston with his wife, daughter, cat and vinyl collection.Nathan Durfee has garnered notoriety across the Southeast for his captivating, pop-surrealist narratives and intriguing use of color. Currently based in Charleston, South Carolina, Durfee has been heralded as the Best Local Visual Artist by Charleston City Paper for 4 consecutive years, in addition to receiving the Teatrio Cultural Association book award for his children's book Hello My Name is Bernard. Durfee has also recently been profiled in American Art Collector, Charleston Art and Charleston Scene magazines.

"Black Music Is" is a poetic love letter to Black music and history, through the ears of Bebop the cat.The book weaves poetry and pop-surrealist illustration, teaching readers about icons like Big Mama Thornton, BB King, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Max Roach, Prince and Alice Coltrane. It also mentions modern-day musicians Our Native Daughters, Saba, Rapsody, Big Joanie, Black Thought, and more.In the book, Bebop the cat plays records by Black musicians in five genres: blues, hip-hop, rock, bluegrass, and jazz. Follow Bebop on a journey through American music history. Every record takes the cat to a differentcolorful sonic world."Black Music Is" is perfect for readers looking to learn more about music, and sharpen their knowledge of Black history.The picture book was written by Marcus Amaker (Charleston, SC's first Poet Laureate) and illustrated by celebrated artist Nathan Durfee.