Ishmael Reed

Ishmael Reed is an American poet, novelist, essayist and playwright, born in 1938, who also writes songs, composes music, and has worked as an editor and publisher. He is best known for satirical books that take aim at American political culture, starting with Mumbo Jumbo (1972), a sprawling, unorthodox novel set in 1920s New York. Reed's other novels include Flight to Canada and Yellow Back Radio Broke-down. His work gives attention to African and African-American perspectives that have often been overlooked.