Lori Marie Carlson

This collection of poems explores the bicultural and bilingual identity that many young Latinos in the U.S. strive to define as they move between worlds, languages, and customs. The poems reflect many emotions, including pride and confusion, as the poets move from ESL class and a street fair to the church and the "all American" side of the tracks. Oscar Hijuelos provides a thoughtful, moving introduction to the collection. This book contains some explicit content.

Product Description: The ten stories that make up this collection edited by Lori Carlson (Cool Salsa) are raw, original, and fresh. A supermarket checkout line, a rowboat on a freezing lake at dawn, a drunken dance in the gym, an ice hockey game on public-access TV. These are some of the backgrounds against which ten outstanding authors such as Sherman Alexie, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Linda Hogan, and Lee Francis have created their memorable characters.

A collection of poems from an array of seasoned poets and young Latino authors describing their experiences in the United States. These poems depict the reality and hardships some young Latinos have experienced in their search for identity, as well as the joy of family gatherings surrounded by food, customs, and culture. Introduction by Oscar Hijuelos.

Everyday activities, from sun-up to sun-down — sol a sol — are presented in a series of short poems presented in Spanish and English. Richly hued paintings sweep across the pages adding movement and verve to the simple fluid language.