Cyrus Shams is a young man grappling with an inheritance of violence and loss: his mother's plane was shot down over the skies of the Persian Gulf in a senseless accident; and his father's life in America was circumscribed by his work killing chickens at a factory farm in the Midwest. Cyrus is a drunk, an addict, and a poet, whose obsession with martyrs leads him to examine the mysteries of his past-toward an uncle who rode through Iranian battlefields...

"A lyrical picture book biography about American poet Edna St. Vincent Millay's childhood and the two sisters who inspired her Good things come in threes, like peas like wishes like sisters. Vincent-American poet Edna St. Vincent Millay-began writing and publishing poetry as a child. She grew up in coastal Maine with her two sisters and plenty of books, music, and nature, but often without parents-her father left home when they were young, and her...

For fans of Douglas Stuart and Nick Hornby comes an uproarious, tenderhearted memoir of growing up in working-class Dundee in the 1970s and 1980s. Don Paterson is one of our most acclaimed contemporary poets, possessed of "an infinite sensitivity to the world" (Zadie Smith). But his current standing gives few hints of his hilariously misspent youth. An indifferent student prone to obsessions (with girls at school and...origami), Paterson nevertheless...

"Langston Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri, and was raised by his grandmother, who told him many stories of the Black American experience and taught him to be proud of his race from a young age. With her guidance, Langston became a talented writer in high school, creating dramatic plays, poetry, and articles for the school paper. His career as a writer would continue to blossom. Langston pioneered jazz poetry and published nearly twenty poetry...

"Nida has always been known as Mamou Abdul-Hafeedh's niece -- the poet who will fill her uncle's shoes after he was wrongfully incarcerated during the war on terror. But for Nida, her poetry letters are her heart and sharing so much of herself with a world that stereotypes her faith and her hijab is not an option. When Nida is illegally frisked at a Democratic Senatorial candidate's political rally, she writes a scathing poem about the politician,...

Poet, writer, and hip-hop educator Tony Keith Jr. makes his debut with a powerful YA memoir in verse, tracing his journey from being a closeted gay Black teen battling poverty, racism, and homophobia to becoming an openly gay first-generation college student who finds freedom in poetry. Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo, George M. Johnson, and Jacqueline Woodson.Tony dreams about life after high school, where his poetic voice can find freedom...

"Samira is determined to have a perfect summer filled with fun parties, exploring DC, and growing as a poet--until a scandalous rumor has her grounded and unable to leave her house. When Samira turns to a poetry forum for solace, she catches the eye of an older, charismatic poet named Horus. For the first time, Samira feels wanted. But soon she's keeping a bigger secret than ever before--one that that could prove her reputation and jeopardize her...

"Who is Yahya Bas? Revolutionary poet, notorious jihadist, misbegotten son, self-styled idiot-boy. When the enigmatic Yahya finds himself languishing in a UK detention center after fleeing the conflict in Syria, he has many questions to face. What was he doing in the desert? Why did he betray his country? What led him to to write the incendiary verses that launched him to international infamy? Mister, his interrogator, wants answers. So Yahya resolves...

"A lyrical picture book biography that tells the story of one of America's most celebrated children's book authors, Virginia Hamilton, the first African American to win the Newbery Medal"--

Born by the edge of the great African desert, seven-year-old Penda Wane is learning to be a griot -- a praise-singer and poet. But when slave traders destroy her town, her long journey across the sea begings. Too weak to stand, she is left to die on the Boston wharf. When she is finally purchased, she is renamed Phillis, after the ship that carried her as cargo, and Wheatley because she is her mistress's property. Astonished at the speed at which...