Brash, funny and tender: A new poetry collection for your reading list

Every week, The Thread checks in with booksellers around the country about their favorite books of the moment. This week, we spoke with Danny Caine from The Raven Book Store in Lawrence, Kan.Those hungering for a new poetry collection, take note.Bookseller Danny Caine recommends "Citizen Illegal" from José Olivarez."It's a funny and occasionally devastating portrait of life as a first generation Mexican-American, as the son of Mexican immigrants," Caine said."It starts with some really brash and funny poems, and towards the end it gets into some really tender poems about death, about the loss of a grandparent. The collection is just a really satisfying read."The collection is published by Haymarket as part of their BreakBeat Poets series.Caine says the series "is putting out some of the most exciting poetry today. I tend to read everything they put out. I like it because it's coming from the Midwest, too. It definitely has a Chicago feel to it. I always look for great art coming from the heartland."Citizen IllegalCitizen Illegal