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 Press Books

Broadside Press Posters

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 Madhubuti, 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

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.

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 Bethune 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]

Group Readings on Tape

Broadside Album: Rappin' and Readin' by Don L. Lee.

Broadside on Broadway: Seven Poets Read.

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