Tomorrow Is Beautiful

As the world celebrates and reflects on the beautiful life of Maya Angelou, Virago presents an updated collection of her works of poetry, collected together for the first time. From her reflections on African American life and hardship in Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'fore I Diiie to her revolutionary celebrations of womanhood in Phenomenal Woman and Still I Rise, and her elegant tributes to dignitaries Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela (On the Pulse of Morning and His Day Is Done, respectively), every inspiring word of Maya Angelou's poetry is included in the pages of this volume.

Maya Angelou's poetry - lyrical and dramatic, exuberant and playful - speaks of love, longing, partings; of Saturday night partying, and the smells and sounds of Southern cities; of freedom and shattered dreams. 'The caged bird sings/ with a fearful trill/ of things unknown/ but longed for still/ and his tune is heard/ on the distant hill/ for the caged bird/ sings of freedom.' Of her poetry, Kirkus Reviews has written, 'It is just as much a part of her biography as I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Gather Together in My Name, Singin' and Swingin' and Getting Merry Like Christmas, and Heart of a Woman.

Written in 1966, ‘Tarantula’ is a collection of poems and prose that evokes the turbulence of the times in which it was written, and gives a unique insight into Dylan’s creative evolution. ‘The good samaritan coming in with the words “round & round we go” tattoed on his cheek / he tells the senator to stop insulting the lawyer.’ ‘Tarantula’ captures Bob Dylan’s preoccupations at a crucial juncture in his artistic development, showcasing the antic imagination of a folk poet laureate who was able to combine the humanity and compassion of his country roots with the playful surrealism of modern art. Angry, funny and strange, the poems and prose in this collection reflect the concerns we find in Dylan’s most seminal music: a sense of protest, a verbal playfulness and spontaneity, and a belief in the artistic legitimacy of chronicling everyday life and eccentricity on the street. ‘Tarantula’ never made its publication date in Autumn 1966. To the delays added by Dylan’s constant revisions was added the greater complication of his motorcyle accident – which left him with still undisclosed injuries and kept the book from publication until 1971. In the interim, it became a cult phenomenon, with ‘bookleg’ editions photocopied from reviewer proofs circulating throughout the musical and literary demi-mondes. Reissued to coincide with the paperback release of ‘Chronicles Volume 1’, ‘Tarantula’ will finally find the wider audience it deserves.

A remote townland in County Mayo, Carrigskeewaun has been for nearly fifty years Michael Longley’s home-from-home, his soul-landscape. Its lakes and mountains, wild animals and flowers, its moody seas and skies have for decades lit up his poetry. Now they overflow into Angel Hill, his exuberant new collection. In addition, Longley has been exploring Lochalsh in the Western Highlands where his daughter the painter Sarah Longley now lives with her family. She has opened up for him her own soul-landscape with its peculiar shapes and intense colours. In Angel Hill the imaginations of poet and painter intermingle and two exacting wildernesses productively overlap. Love poems and elegies and heart-rending reflections on the Great War and the Northern Irish Troubles add further weight to Michael Longley’s outstanding eleventh collection. Angel Hill will undoubtedly delight this great poet’s many admirers.

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Roxy Music's iconic first album with this collection of Bryan Ferry's evocative lyrics of aspiration and romantic longing, introduced by the author. 'Lyrics is a book any Roxy fan would be proud to have on their shelf' The Telegraph Bryan Ferry's work as a singer and songwriter, both as a solo artist and with Roxy Music, is legendary. Lyrics collects the words written for music across seventeen albums, from the first iconic Roxy album of 1972 via the masterpiece of Avalon to 2014's reflective Avonmore, introduced by the author, and with an insightful essay by James Truman. All the classic Roxy anthems are here - 'Virginia Plain', 'Do the Strand', 'Love is the Drug' - songs in which the real and the make-believe blend in a kaleidoscopic mix, shot through with cinematic allure. Also included are the evocative lyrics of romantic longing and lost illusions for which Ferry is rightly revered: 'Slave to Love', 'Mother of Pearl', 'More Than This'. As he writes in his preface, 'The low points in life so often produce the most keenly felt and best-loved songs.' And, it might be added, some of the best poetry. Discover this unforgettable collection of Bryan Ferry's work today; the ultimate Christmas gift for any fan.