Blue, Erratic Wanderings of the Blood

In “Meditation XVII,” John Donne celebrates connection, like that between countries on a continent—or even between writers at Bread Loaf, or between two partners sharing one voice. In “Jitterbugs,” LeRoi Jones’ speaker longs to escape the “imperfect” world but ultimately accepts that he must stay put. Blues People suggests that the same kind of acceptance prompted the invention of blues music, with its interconnected guitar, vocals and—as Dean Mitchell illustrates—its rhythm-making bass. The title of this case comes from Galway Kinnell's poem "Vapor Trail Reflected in the Frog Pond."