Miss Otis

An African American woman is centered, shown from behind and pictured from the waist up, head turned to face the viewer. Her right hand holds her left arm and she appears a blue and yellow background punctuated by images that include sets of eyes, mouths, jail bars and a gun. A label at the base of the image reads "Miss Otis." The inspiration for this print comes from a 1934 song by Cole Porter entitled "Miss Otis Regrets." The song opens and closes with the lyrics "Miss Otis Regrets she's unable to lunch today," and details that the previous day Miss Otis awoke to find herself abandoned by her lover, found him and shot him, and was arrested and jailed. In the song an angry mob dragged her from the jail and lynched her. In 2002 Amos also created a similar acrylic on linen painting entitled "Miss Otis Regrets."