Detroit's Broadside Press
Dudley Randall, (1914-), created the Broadside Press in 1965 in Detroit, Michigan. The press was run out of his home, with limited funds, but managed to publish the major African-American poetry of the time. The list of new and established poets published by Broadside Press is impressive as the following bibliography illustrates. Randall founded Broadside Press to publish his own poetry but soon expanded to include other poets with focus on producing inexpensive but quality broadsides and books. All profits from the sales were put back into the company as Randall supported himself with his position as librarian at the University of Detroit. In 1978 Black Enterprise magazine called Randall, "The father of the black poetry movement."
Randall sold Broadside Press in 1985 to Hilda and Donald Vest who continues to operate the Press.
The Clarke Historical Library has a collection of Broadside Press publications, excluding the tapes, which may be consulted in our Reading Room. The illustrations are produced with the permission of Broadside Press.
The Clarke Library is not the agent for the press. Those seeking to contact Broadside Press may use this link:
http://www.broadsidelotuspress.com/ (Updated May 2015)
This site was compiled by Evelyn Leasher in 1999 from material found in the collection of the Clarke Historical Library.
The Clarke Historical Library does not hold those items marked with an asterisk (*
Broadside Voices - Poets Reading their own Work
Broadside Press Books
Not all books listed below are held by the Clarke Historical Library.
Alhamisi, Ahmed Akinwole. Holy Ghosts; Pomes [sic]. 1972. 62 pages
Aubert, Alvin. Against the Blues. 1972. 30 pages
Bailey, Pack Leaonard, Compiler and Editor. Broadside Authors and Artists: An Illustrated Biographical Directory. 1974. 125 pages
Baker, Houston A., Jr. A Many-Colored Coat of Dreams: The Poetry of Countee Cullen. 1974. 60 pages [Broadside Critics Series #4]
*Barlow, George. Gabriel. 1974.
Bell, Bernard W. The Folk Roots of Contemporary Afro-American Poetry. 1974. 80 pages [Broadside Critics Series #3]
Birch, McLane. The Kandi Man. 1970. 27 pages
The Black Position. Annual: 1971, 1972, 1973, 1976. Editor: Gwendolyn Brooks.
Blakely, Henry. Windy Place. 1974. 70 pages
Boyd, Melba Joyce. Song for Maya. 1982. 70 pages [co-production of Broadside Press and Detroit River Press] Drawings by Jose Garza.
Boyer, Jill Witherspoon. Dream Farmer. 1975. 24 pages
Boze, Arthur. Black Words. 1972. 22 pages
Bragg, Linda Brown. A Love Song to Black Men. 1974. 32 pages
Broadside Annual. 1972, 1973. Jill Witherspoon, Editor.
Brooks, Gwendolyn. Aloneness. 1971. 16 pages Illustrated by LeRoy Foster
Brooks, Gwendolyn. Beckonings. 1975. 16 pages
Brooks, Gwendolyn. A Broadside Treasury 1965-1970. 1971. 188 pages
Brooks, Gwendolyn. Family Pictures. 1970. 23 pages
Brooks, Gwendolyn. Jump Bad: A New Chicago Anthology. 1971. 188 pages
Brooks, Gwendolyn. Report from Part One. 1972. 215 pages
Brooks, Gwendolyn. Riot. 1969. 22 pages
Brown, Sterling A. The Last Ride of Wild Bill and Eleven Narrative Poems. 1975. 53 pages Cannon, C.E. Saint Nigger. 1972. 24 pages
A Capsule Course in Black Poetry Writing by Gwendolyn Brooks, Keorapetse Kgositsile, Haki R. Madhubuti, and Dudley Randall. 1975. 64 pages
Danner, Margaret. Impressions of African Art Forms in the Poetry of Margaret Danner. 1960. 20 pages
Danner, Margaret. Poem Counterpoem by Margaret Danner and Dudley Randall. 1969. 23 pages
Drafts, C. Gene. Bloodwhispers/Blacksongs. 1974. 14 pages.
Eckels, Jon. Home is Where the Soul Is. 1969. 25 pages
Emanuel, James. Panther Man. 1970. 32 pages
Emanuel, James. The Treehouse and Other Poems. 1968. 24 pages
Figueroa, Jose-Angel. East 110th Street. 1973. 45 pages
Gayle, Addison Jr. Claude McKay; The Black Poet at War. 1972. 46 pages [Broadside Critics Series # 2]
*Gibbs, Michelle S. Island Images. 1989. 30 pages
*Gibbs, Michelle S. Sketches from Home. 1983. 64 pages
Giovanni, Nikki. Black Feeling, Black Talk. 1970. 26 pages
Giovanni, Nikki. Black Judgment. 1969. 36 pages
Giovanni, Nikki. Re:Creation. 1970. 48 pages
Guillen, Nicolas. Tengo. Translated by Richard J. Carr. 1974. 142 pages
HIPology:[Horizons in Poetry] The Study of Attitudes; A Fresh Jive in the Wake of Post-modern Wreckage. You Dig? Edited by Ron Allen and Stella L. Crews. 1990. 152 pages
Hoagland, Everett. Black Velvet. [rev. ed] 1970. 32 pages. Drawings by B. L. Carpenter
Hodges, Frenchy Jolene. Black Wisdom. 1971. 30 pages
Jackson, Murray. Watermelon Rinds and Cherry Pits. 1991. 88 pages
Jeffers, Lance. My Blackness is the Beauty of This Land. 1970. 24 pages
Jeffers, Lance. When I Know the Power of My Black Hand. 1974. 62 pages
Kgositsile, Aneb. (Gloria Larry House) Blood River. 1983. 38 pages
Kgositsile, Aneb. Rainrituals. 1989. 60 pages
Kgositsile, Keorapetse. Spirits Unchained. Paeans. 1969. 23 pages
Knight, Etheridge. Belly Song and Other Poems. 1973. 62 pages
Knight, Etheridge. Poems from Prison. 1968. 31 pages
Lee, Don L. Directionscore: Selected and New Poems. 1971. 208 pages
Lee, Don L. Don't Cry, Scream. 1969. 64 pages
Lee, Don L. Dynamite Voices. 1971. 92 pages [Broadside Critics Series #1]
Lee, Don L. From Plan to Planet: Life Studies: The Need for Afrikan Minds and Institutions. 1973. 159 pages
Lee, Don L. Think Black. 1969. 24 pages
Lee, Don L. We Walk the Way of the New World. 1970. 71 pages
Lee, Don L. See also Madhubiti, Haki R.
Lomax, Pearl Cleage. We Don't Need No Music. 1972. 16 pages
Long, Doughtry. Black Love Black Hope. 1971. 30 pages
Long, Doughtry. Song for Nia: A Poetic Essay in Three Parts. 1971. 38 pages
Lorde, Audre. From a Land Where Other People Live. 1973. 46 pages
Lorde, Audre. New York Head Shop and Museum. 1974. 56 pages
Lyn. Singing Sadness Happy. 1972. 32 pages
Madhubuti, Haki R. Black Pride; Poems by Don L. Lee. 1968. 34 pages
Madhubuti, Haki R. (Don L. Lee) Book of Life. 1973. 80 pages
Madhubuti, Haki R. Directionscore: Selected and New Poems by Don Lee. 1971. 208 pages
Madhubuti, Haki R. See also Lee, Don L.
*Major, Clarence. The Cotton Club; New Poems. 1972. 22 pages
Marvin X. Black Man Listen; Poems and Proverbs. 1969. 28 pages
Murphy, Beatrice M. and Nancy L. Arnez. The Rocks Cry Out. 1969. 24 pages
Nicholes, Marion. Life Styles. 1971. 22 pages
Odarty, Bill (Bli Odaatey). A Safari of African Cooking. 1971. 137 pages Illustrated by Shirley Woodson
O'Neal, Regina. And Then the Harvest: Three Television Plays. 1974. 142 pages [Walk a Tight Rope; And Then the Harvest; Night Watch]
Pfister, Arthur. Beer Cans, Bullets, Things & Pieces. 1972. 30 pages
Plumpp, Sterling. Clinton. 1976. 23 pages
Randall, Dudley, editor. Black Poetry: A Supplement to Anthologies which Exclude Black Poets. 1969. 48 pages
Randall, Dudley. Broadside Memories: Poets I Have Known. 1975. 64 pages
Randall, Dudley. Cities Burning. 1968. 16 pages
Randall, Dudley. For Malcolm: Poems on the Life and Death of Malcolm X. Edited by Dudley Randall and Margaret G. Burroughs. 1969. 127 pages
Randall, Dudley, editor. Homage to Hoyt Fuller. 1984. 356 pages
Randall, Dudley. A Litany of Friends: New and Selected Poems. 1981. 101 pages
Randall, James. Cities and Other Disasters. 1973. 30 pages
Randall, James Jr. Don't Ask Me Who I Am. 1970. 16 pages
Randall, Jon C. Indigoes. 1975. 15 pages
Raven, John. Blues for Momma and Other Low Down Stuff. 1971. 31 pages
Reese, Leslie A. Upside Down Tapestry Mosaic History: Poems. 1987. 51 pages
Robinson, William H. Phillis Wheatley in the Black American Beginnings. 1975. 95 pages [Broadside Critics Series #5]
Sanchez, Sonia. A Blues Book for Blue Black Magical Women. 1974. 62 pages
Sanchez, Sonia. Home Coming; Poems. 1969. 32 pages
Sanchez, Sonia. It's a New Day; (Poems for Young Brothas and Sistuhs.) 1971. 29 pages Illustrated by Ademola Olugebefola
Sanchez, Sonia. We a baddDDD People. 1970. 72 pages
Simmons, Judy Dothard. Judith's Blues. 1973. 22 pages
Smith-Knight, Sharon. Wine Sip and Other Delicious Poems. 1991. 78 pages
Spencer, Chauncey E. Who is Chauncey Spencer? 1975. 150 pages
Stephany. Moving Deep. 1969. 32 pages
Thigpen, William A. Jr. Down Nigger Paved Streets. 1972. 28 pages
Thompson, Carolyn. Frank. 1970. 40 pages
Tisdale, Celes. Betcha Ain't, Poems from Attica. Edited with an Introduction by Celes Tisdale. 1974. 62 pages
Walker, Margaret. October Journey. 1973. 38 pages
Walker, Margaret. Prophets for a New Day. 1970. 32 pages
Waller, Rayfield. Abstract Blues. 1988. 62 pages
Ward, Albert Michael. Patches on Mainstreet. 1989. 56 pages. Design/Illustration by Brenda Gibson
Wolde, Habte.(H.A. Jennings) Enough to Die For. 1972. 46 pages
Broadside Press Posters
This list is in order by date published. Not all books listed below are held by the Clarke Historical Library.
1. Knight, Etheridge. For Black Poets Who Think of Suicide. Poster #1, 1969. Illustrated by Knight, Etheridge. For Black Poets Who Think of Suicide. Poster #1, 1969. Illustrated by Talita Long.
2. Randall, Dudley. On Getting a Natural: For Gwendolyn Brooks. Poster # 2, 1970. Illustrated by Leonard Baskin.
3. Silhouette. 1971. Illustration by Pat Whitsett.
4. Angela. 1971. Illustration by Talita Long.
5. Payne, Reginald and Pearl Eckles. Protect the Sister. 1971.
6. Brooks, Gwendolyn. Black Steel: Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali. 1971. Special Broadside. This poem was commissioned for the Frazier-Ali Fight and appeared in the official program.
Broadside Series
This list is in order by date published.
Not all series listed below are held by the Clarke Historical Library.
1. Randall, Dudley. Ballad of Birmingham (On the Bombing of a Church in Birmingham, Alabama, 1963).1965. [c.1963]
2. Randall, Dudley. Dressed All In Pink. Second, revised, edition. 1967. [c.1965]
3. Hayden, Robert E. Gabriel (Hanged for Leading a Slave Revolt). 1966. [c.1940] Designed and Illuminated by Cledie Taylor.
4. Walker, Margaret. The Ballad of the Free. 1966. Designed by Cledie Taylor.
5. Tolson, M. B. The Sea-Turtle and the Shark. 1966. Designed by Cledie Taylor.
6. Brooks, Gwendolyn. We Real Cool. 1966. [c.1959] Designed by Cledie Taylor.
7. Jones, Leroi. A Poem for Black Hearts. 1967. [c.1965]
8. Randall, Dudley. Booker T. and W.E.B. (Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois) 1967. [c.1952]
9. Hamilton, Bobb. A Child's Nightmare. 1967.
10. Fields, Julie. I Heard a Young Man Saying. 1967. [c.1966]
11. Madgett, Naomi Long. Sunny. (From an Old Photograph). 1967. [c.1965]
12. Reese, S. Carolyn. Letter from a Wife. 1967.
13. Hughes, Langston. The Backlash Blues. 1967.
14. Fabio, Sarah Webster. Race Results, U.S.A., 1966: White Right--A Favorite--Wins; Lurline--A Long Shot--Places: Black Power--A Long Shot--Shows. For Stokely Carmichael. 1967.
15. Toomer, Jean. Song of the Son. 1967. [c.1950]
16. Lee, Don L. Back Again, Home. (Confessions of an Ex-Executive). 1967.
17. Graham, Le. The Black Narrator (At a Symposium for Afro-Americans). 1966.
18. Lawrence, Harold G. Black Madonna. 1967. [c.1962] Drawing by LeRoy Foster.
19. Brooks, Gwendolyn. The Wall. For Edward Christmas. 1967.
20. Patterson, Raymond. At That Moment: A Legend of Malcolm X. 1968.
21. Knight, Etheridge. 2 Poems for Black Relocation Centers. 1968.
22. Danner, Margaret. Not Light, nor Bright, nor Feathery. 1968.
23. Emanuel, James. At Bay. 1968. Lettering by Shirley Stark.
24. Toure, Askia Muhammad. Earth For Mrs. Mary Bethume and the African and Afro-American Women. 1968. [c. 1964]
25. Lee, Don L. Assassination. 1968.
26. Nkrumah, Bahala T. Black Unity. 1968.
27. Felton, B. Ghetto Waif. 1968.
28. Rutherford, Tony. Black and White. 1968.
29. Killebew, Carl. The Squared Circle. 1968.
30. Johnson, Alicia L. Our Days are Numbered. 1968.
31. Bradford, Walter. T.C. (Terry Callier; True Christian) 1969.
32. Long, Doughtry. Ginger Bread Mama; One Day Henry Dreamed the Number. 1969.
33. Lee, Don L. One Sided Shoot-out 12/7/69 (For Brothers Fred Hampton & Mark Clark, Murdered 12/4/69 by Chicago Police at 4:30 AM While They Slept). 1969.
34. Sanchez, Sonia. Liberation/Poem; Why I Don't Get High on Shit. 1970. Cover Design by Shirley Woodson.
35. Pfister, Arthur. Granny Blak Poet (in Pastel) for Mrs. Margaret Danner. 1970.
36. Knight, Etheridge. For Black Poets Who Think of Suicide. 1970. Illustrated by Talita Long.
37. Rodgers, Carolyn M. Now Ain't that Love? 1970.
38. Pulliam, Helen. Slaughterhouse. 1970.
39. Witherspoon, Jill. County Jail. 1970.
40. Davis, Ronda M. Rip-off. 1970.
41. Giovanni, Nikki. All I Gotta Do. 1970.
42. Alexander, Paula Denise. Goodnight. 1970.
43. Plumpp, Sterling. Muslim Men. 1971. Cover by Shirley Woodson.
44. Rodgers, Carolyn. A Long Rap/ Commonly Known as a Poetic Essay. For Flip Wilson. 1971.
45. Mwandishe, Kuweka Amiri. The Nigger Cycle. For Angela Davis, Kidnapped by the F.B.I. on October 13, 1970. 1971. Portrait by Talita Long.
46. Tarajia, Omari Kenyatta. (Richard C. James III) A Simple Poem to Mae. 1971. Drawing by Patricia Whitsitt.
47. Taylor, Rockie. (Tejumola Ologboni) Black Henry. 1971.
48. Keeby, Robert. Two Poems. Black Rebel by Robert Keeby: Poem, by Stephany. 1971.
49. Gracia, Glenda. Tears and Kisses by Glenda Garcia: Non-Violent Revolution by Wilbert E. Rutledge Jr: I Reach Inside Myself by James Amaker: Sister/Brother Hood by Lori Lunford: and The Search by Porter Kirkwood. 1971.
50. Rodgers, Carolyn M. For H.W. Fuller. [A Poem]. 1971 [c. 1969] Portrait by Shirley Woodson.
51. Hamilton, Bobb. A Father Tells his Son about the Statue of Liberty, by Bobb Hamilton: Crossing the International Dateline, by George Buggs. 1971.
52. Yosuf. To my Immortality, by Yosuf: Attempted Genocide; Sometimes-When it Doesn't Work; Good times, by Jeanne Newkirk Smith: Childhood; Love by Robert Bowen: and Poem, by Carole Gregory Clemmons. 1971.
53. Kinamo, Hodari. Hoes are for Raking Leaves, by Hodari Kinamo: Unite, by LaDonna Tolbert: The Black Man's Life, by B. H. Rogers: Superblack, by Alvin Kingcade.1971.
54. Riley, Lawrence C. Ebony Woman, by Lawrence C. Riley: Growing Pains, by Thomas Washington, Jr: Convict Warrior no. 122088, by Robert L.: and Sisters Love to Rap, by Mabarut Khalil Malik. 1971.
55. Perry, J. D. Black Song. 1972.
56. Shango, Chaka. (Horace Coleman). Black Gifts for a Black Child. 1972.
57. Clarke, Evelyn. Gonna Free Him. 1972.
58. Carter, Karl W. Three Poems. [Song; The Old Woman; In Apology to all Black Women]. 1972.
59. Amini, Johari M. (Jewel Latimore) A Hip Tale in the Death Style. 1972.
60. Walker, Alice. Five Poems. [Revoluntary Petunias; J, My Good Friend; Lost my Voice? Of Course/ for Beanie; He Said Come; The Girl who Died # 1]. 1972.
61. Randall, James PoSamm. Four Poems. [Therapy Plea for Status-quo Anxiety Frustration; The Arms Race by James PoSamm Randall: Sandwedge by Ray B. Oxford: We'll Dance, We'll Sing, Our Own Way, by Jerry Forsh]. 1972.
62. Randall, Dudley. Green Apples. 1972.
63. Pearl Bailey Sings Tchaikovski & Grieg in the key of Ellington-Strayhorn: Mushrooms & Nutcrackers.1972.
64. Knight, Etheridge. A Poem for Brother/Man (after his Recovery from an O.D.) by Etheridge Knight: The Final Indignity, by Lyn: For the Children at P.S. 12-8-9-6-1, by H.A. Jennings (Habte Wolde): Schizophrenia, by Judy Dothard Simmons. 1972.
65. Brooks, Gwendolyn. Aurora. 1972.
66. Boyd, Melba J. ...1965 (Dedicated to all my Brothers and Sisters of Southwest Detroit, Who Did and Did Not Survive), by Melba J. Boyd: Flowers at the Jackson Funeral Home,(Daddy? Sugardaddy? You Really Dead?) by George Barlow: X Pressing Feeling, by Jose-Angel Figueroa. 1972.
*67. Steed, Ruth. Ain't no More Ain't by Ruth Steed: Impressions of Zambia by Chinosole: The Little Blk Girl on the Subway by Tom Sellers. 1972.
68. Boyd, Melba J. To Darnell and Johnny (February 23, 1973). Owen Darnell Winfield, born May 22, 1945 and John Percy Boyd, Jr., born January 2, 1949, were assassinated by an Agent of the State while Struggling for Black Liberation - "Africa Will Rise." 1973.
69. Cox, Walter. Poems. [Rosedale Street; As of Late; Lovepoem for Patricia (Whom I Dig); Carmel]. 1973.
70. Randall, Jon. Indigoes. 1973.
71. Gilbert El. Democracy. 1973.
72. Anderson, JoAnn. Summer Time Haiku (Not on Nature, But on Being Natural). 1973.
73. Drafts, C. Gene. But Not for Me. 1973.
74. Shango, Chaka Aku. (Horace Coleman) The Sunflower Queen. 1973.
75. Burnett, Denise Alexander. Four Women. 1973. [Billlie Holiday, Rosa Parks, Coretta King, Lorraine Hansberry].
76. Wendt, Albert. Traders. 1973.
77. Alonso, Ricardo. Afro Blue (To Mongo), by Ricardo Alonso; Hold Me, by Jacelyn Lewis; To my Man in Jail, by Susan Cottrell. 1973.
78. Jordan, June. Poem: On Moral Leadership as a Political Dilemma. (Watergate, 1973). 1973.
79. Martin, Herbert Woodward. At the Five and Dime. 1974.
80. Lane, Pinkie Gordon. A Quiet Poem. 1974.
81. Clifton, Lucille. All of Us are All of Us. 1974.
82. Wright, Deonne B. Watermelon Poems. [Elite; Check Me Out] 1974.
83. Tann, Eileen. Counterpoem for Dudley Randall, From a Very Green Apple. 1974.
84. Collier, Eugenia. Hurl. 1974.
85. Rowell, Charles H. [ Jessie H. Rowell, 1905-1966] Silent Words at my Mother's Grave. 1974.
86. Dixon, Melvin. Climbing Montmartre. 1974.
87. X, Hurley (Smith). Poem for Patrice Lumumba, Murdered for Seeking Justice for his People. 1974.
88. Mosley, Donald. Strolling. 1974.
89. Tejani, Mohezin. African Mama. 1974.
90. Mills, Rhonda. Love, Deep. 1974.
91. Harper, Michael S. To an Old Man Twiddling Thumbs. 1975.
92. Neals, Betty H. The Great Gittin' Down. 1975.
For Vivian. [1983]
Broadside Voices - Poets Reading their own Work
The Clarke does not hold any of the following audio recordings
1. Arnez, Nancy and Murphy, Beatrice. The Rocks Cry Out.
2. Brooks, Gwendolyn. Family Pictures.
3. Danner, Margaret and Randall, Dudley. Poem: Counterpoem.
4. Emanuel, James. Panther Man.
5. Emanuel, James. The Treehouse and Other Poems.
6. Giovanni, Nikki. Re:Creation.
7. Hodges, Frenchy Jolene. Black Wisdom.
8. Jeffers, Lance. My Blackness is the Beauty of This Land.
9. Kgositsile, Keorapetse. Spirits Unchained.
10. Knight, Etheridge. Poems from Prison.
11. Lee, Don L. Don't Cry, Scream.
12. Lee, Don L. We Walk the Way of the New World.
13. Major, Clarence. Cotton Club.
14. Marvin X. Black Man, Listen.
15. Randall, Dudley. Cities Burning.
16. Randall, Dudley. More to Remember.
17. Sanchez, Sonia. Homecoming.
18. Sanchez, Sonia. We a BaddDDD People.
19. Simmons, Judy. Judith's Blues.
20. Stephany. Moving Deep.
21. Walker, Margaret. Prophets for a New Day.
Group Readings on Tape
The Clarke does not hold any of the following audio recordings
Broadside Album: Rappin' and Readin' by Don L. Lee.
Broadside on Broadway: Seven Poets Read.