In Isaac Murphy: I Dedicate This Ride, poet Frank X Walker immerses himself in the story of legendary African-American jockey Isaac Murphy (1861-1896).

The son of a slave, Murphy rose to the top of thoroughbred racing in a brilliant career that brought him wealth and fame. In Murphy’s time, thoroughbred racing was dominated by African-American jockeys.

In the poems imagined/spoken here by Frank X Walker we hear the voices of Murphy and his wife Lucy, his trainer Eli Jordan, and his parents James and America Burns. The poems shine a light on the life of America’s most celebrated black jockey, his family and community, and the historical canvas on which his extraordinary life played out.

Isaac Murphy: I Dedicate This Ride
Poems by Frank X Walker
Old Cove Press (2010)
ISBN-10: 0-9675424-3-X
ISBN-13: 978-0-9675424-3-0
88 pp., 5 3/4″ x 9 1/4″,  Paperback, $16.00