Paul Garon knows the blues, from the music itself to the poetry and psychology that are the impetus of its creation. The author of biographies of such blues icons as Peetie Wheatstraw and Memphis Minnie, Garon focuses on the social and political elements that have evolved the blues over the last several decades, exploring the blues as a "psychopoetic" contribution to American music and history. Included are rare photographs of blues musicians and the world they inhabit.