Tough Boy Sonatas

Tough Boy Sonatas by Curtis L. Crisler

The solitary voices of young men in Gary, Indiana, explore both angry poverty and innocent childhood in this new collection of poems.

Many of the 39 poems in Tough Boy Sonatas by Curtis Crisler, illus. by Floyd Cooper, have previously appeared, and mature readers will likely welcome this anthology that collects them all. Crisler begins with a solemn ode to Gary, Ind. ("Oh city,/ City of misfortune,/ City of layoff industry,/ City with adult children on abandoned playgrounds,/ Pregnant city with no father"), varies the pacing with the rap-style "Confrontation," and inventively links sex with the sounds of the sax in "Daughter/son Soundtrack." Floyd Cooper's sepia-toned pastels with a judicious use of blue or orange create psychological portraits of the characters here. Even inanimate objects (a cityscape, a house) pulse with life. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved