A fresh and provocative book examines cultural values that African Americans have lost in the post-slavery generations. A young man must return to the village of his slave ancestors to discover the original cultural values lost to... Read More

Elizabeth Bishop, arguably one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century, produced a very small book of collected poems that represented her life’s work. Forever careful to only publish her best work, Bishop’s... Read More

Humor in writing is largely a subjective concept. While some may find the writings of Mark Twain vastly amusing, others may prefer more outrageous and visceral humor. "No News Is Bad News", a collaboration between authors Amara Thompson... Read More

Even if Steven Schrader’s slim new memoir didn’t partially revolve around events in his family’s life in Manhattan’s Garment District, "Threads" would still be the perfect title for his fifth book, given the woven nature of the... Read More

In his poem “A Psychiatrist’s Double Life,” Richard M. Berlin takes readers to the heart of his collection: “I became a doctor-poet / and my colleagues shunned me twice, / once out of fear I could read / their minds, and again... Read More

Waiting rooms everywhere tend to have certain things in common: insipid music, unimaginative decorating, and a dearth of quality reading material to occupy the bored, anxious, or ill people who pass their time in such places. It’s not... Read More

Encouraged by her mother’s warm reception of a birthday poem, Yu began writing the poems collected here when she was a mere eight years old. The poems, befitting her age, are simple and warm, optimistic and bright as in this cinquain,... Read More

Of the many risks that poets may choose, this one opts—unusually—for quietness. These poems speak in an understated, direct voice, with few verbal flourishes or tricks with language. “Gray,” for example, begins with the prosaic... Read More