The Concrete River: Poems

by Luis J. Rodríguez

Book Overview

1991 PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Award for Literary Excellence

The Concrete River is a collection of poems by poet laureate of Los Angeles Luis Rodr?guez. They illuminate the gritty idiosyncrasies of immigrant life in urban barrios spanning Los Angeles to Chicago to Harlem. Rodr?guez lends powerful voices to those struggling to keep the gas on, to find work, and to keep love. Populated by a vibrant cast of characters, ranging from the drugged, to the eccentric, to the heartbroken, Rodr?guez's poems protest capitalism, violence, and exploitation while reveling in the potential of compassion.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0915306425
• ISBN13: 9780915306428
• Release Date: July 1995
• Publisher: Curbstone Press
• Length: 125 Pages
• Weight: 0.42 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.4" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

REVIEW QUOTES

"Luis J. Rodríguez, an important new voice, writes of the barrio, the steel mills and gangs...In his bag of tools, his words, Rodríguez knows just which to use to chisel well-sculpted poetry. His is the gift of sharing." --Sara Sanderson, The Indianapolis News"...the poems in this volume...have a brutal yet shimmering intensity that registers the poignant humor and pathos of many Chicanos' lives." --Anne C. Bromley, American Book Review"This poetry is of the barrio yet stubbornly refuses to be confined in it--Rodríguez' perceptive gaze and storyteller's gift transport his world across neighborhood boundaries." --Publishers Weekly