These 37 poems have been compiled from five previous collections of Kgositsile's work, bringing together a rich sample of this prominent South African poet's work. Spending many of his formative years in the United States in exile from apartheid-era South Africa, Kgositsile developed a deep love for American culture—especially blues and jazz. Many of his "praise" poems reveal the poet's admiration for prominent American musicians like John Coltrane, B. B. King, and Cassandra Wilson. Writers such as Chinua Achebe, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Mazisi Kuene also receive their share of "praise."