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Drawing on rap, jazz, and the rhythms of the streets, Where a Nickel Costs A Dime and Smoking Lovely are collections of poetry that speak to Willie Perdomo’s experience with issues of race, violence, addiction, and poverty in East Harlem. In poems that are scalding, toxic and dizzying, Nuyorican poet Perdomo reminds us that there is something wrong when feeling joy suggests mangled sanity: "I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I noticed I went to more funerals than parties this summer." Smoking Lovely, Willie Perdomo's second volume of poetry, confirms his hard won place in American letters. Addiction, poverty, class and racial identity, love and recovery are examined with a devastating and streetwise voice, marked with irrefutable artistic integrity and craftsmanship. These poems sing, howl, and heal with a sad and searing wisdom akin to genius. Smoking Lovely is destined to become not just one of the best books of the year but of the decade. |
Smoking Lovely Featuring:
| Francisco Bustos |
 Francisco Bustos lives in Playas de Tijuana, Baja California, and in Chula Vista, California where he teaches English Composition at Southwestern College. He mostly writes about border culture, music, foods and people. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife Nirvana, daughter Quetzalli, and son Emiliano, playing guitar with his father-in-law, and visiting his parents, brother and sisters. He grew up on both sides of the Tijuana/San Ysidro Border, moving every couple of years depending on family budget and situation. Bustos is a contributor to Sunshine/Noir: Writing from San Diego and Tijuana (San Diego City Works Press) |
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