Book of What Remains – Benjamin Alire Saenz [Signed]

The Book of What Remains. By Benjamin Alire Saenz. Port Townsend, Washington: Copper Canyon Press, 2010. First Edition. Signed by Saenz at title page. First edition, stated. Paperback. Very good.

In poems set along the border between the United States and Mexico, Saenz presents the contrast between the desert’s beauty and the brutality of border politics, mirroring humanity’s capacity for both generosity and cruelty. In his numbered series “Meditation on Living in the Desert,” Saenz turns to memory, heritage, and a host of literary works that have gone before, as he directly confronts matters of faith, civil rights, and contemporary politics. It moves forward with his unrelenting moral urge to speak truth and take action. These are brave and furious poems, unflinching and visionary, and demanding of attention.