Gives voice to ""outsiders"" - from soldiers and common folk to leading political figures - who play the role of the blue-tail fly in the period of American history between the Mexican American War and the Civil War. This collection considers the demands of war, protest and resistance to it, and the cross-cultural exchanges of wartime.

For lovers of poetry and those interested in American history, Blue-Tail Fly will illustrate the complexities of the American past and future.