The Lives, Writings and Legacies of Phillis Wheatley Peters

There has never been a better time to be a scholar of Phillis Wheatley Peters, as this extraordinary volume shows. The Lives, Writings and Legacies of Phillis Wheatley Peters is a tribute to the genius and enduring power of one of our greatest poets. -- Joseph Rezek, Boston University
While my research in Black Women Legacies reveals that Phillis Wheatley was the most memorialised Black woman of the Jim Crow era, this body of work showcases that her legacy continues to make an indelible imprint in the twenty-first century. Expanding the biographical context of her life, the exploration of her poetry, and the examination of her public legacy – which comprise the three parts of this volume – deepen our understanding of Phillis Wheatley Peters’ humanity. Delving into her interiority, or the layered dimensions of her personhood, the scholars in this volume provide current and future generations with insight about the woman behind her time-stamped accolade as the first Black person in the United States to publish a book. The essays in this volume are curated to reveal a behind-the-scenes perspective of historians scouring the archives, how artists have shaped their public expressions of her legacies, and literary scholars determined to excavate the implications of her poetry during the era in which she lived and for audiences of today. Readers will walk away with a full picture of who Phillis Wheatley Peters was as a person, as well as an invitation to celebrate the relevancy of her eighteenth-century legacy in our contemporary world. As the scope of ‘Wheatley Studies’ continues to expand, this anthology will be an essential read for casual enthusiasts and scholars alike. -- Alexandria Russell, Harvard University