An important composer and musician, Charles Mingus was also part of the civil rights movement. Raised by an aboriginal stepmother he was part Black, Chinese, and White. He claimed to be three people, and spent time in mental hospitals. He was married to one of his wives by Ginsberg, and collaborated with Langston Hughes. 12 of the poems are either directly about a moment in his life, a song, a performance, or are conversations between a fictional version of the author and Mingus. The rest consist of themes from his life: A search for home/identity, music, fighting for social justice/civil rights, protesting, and relationships.