Ethiopia's late Poet Laureate Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin wrote close to 45 plays and a volume of poetry, Isat Woy Abeba (Blaze or Bloom), hailed among the most influential works in Amharic. Original in thought and provocative in content, Tsegaye's works probe into the tumultuous meeting spaces of 'traditional' and 'modern' values while critically examining assumptions of identity across generations. Soaring on Winged Verse serves as an intimate window into the writer's world, and a glimpse of the possible origins of his creative musings. Chronicling his humble beginnings as a shepherd in Boda to his rise as a luminary literary figure, this publication arguably represents the most complete memoir about Tsegaye's eventful life. * * * "No person more symbolizes the greatness of Ethiopian literature than the poet and playwright Tsegaye Gebre Medhin. This vivid and beautifully written authorized biography presents a series of anecdotes about the poet's experiences and provides much needed insight into the life of one of Africa's most important canonical authors." -Wendy Laura Belcher, Princeton University, Author of Abyssinia's Samuel Johnson: Ethiopian Thought in the Making of an English Author