{"product_id":"be-easy-new-and-selected-poems-9781324097501","title":"Be Easy: New and Selected Poems","description":"\u003cp\u003eRevered for his \"patient, clever, controlled, [and] visionary\" (Hanif Abdurraquib) poems, Adrian Matejka has been a mainstay of contemporary American poetry for over two decades. Gathering hits from six extraordinary collections, \u003cem\u003eBe Easy\u003c\/em\u003e showcases his singular sonics and narrative vision in fresh, dynamic poems that lyrically complicate place, race, and identity.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Traversing the Midwest from Indianapolis to Chicago, new poems explore the twitchy unease of unintentional migration and economic instability as the country faces a future every bit as unsettling and circus-like as parking lot carnivals of the poet's childhood. Selections from \u003cem\u003eMixology\u003c\/em\u003e (2008)--\"a post-soul tour de force\" (Kevin Young)--reverberate with the rhythm of '80s hip-hop, while \"revelatory\" (Gabrielle Calvocoressi) odes from Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist \u003cem\u003eThe Big Smoke\u003c\/em\u003e (2013) reimagine the legacy of prizefighter Jack Johnson and transcendent poems from \u003cem\u003eMap to the Stars\u003c\/em\u003e (2017) brim with cosmic jazz.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Matejka's smooth lyricism flows into a singular, indispensable collection of memories lost and found again. Tracing the continuum of a \"rocket-powered\" (Campbell McGrath) writer, \u003cem\u003eBe Easy\u003c\/em\u003e affirms Matejka as one of the most exciting voices of our time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Liveright Publishing Corporation\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/31\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781324097501\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 224\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 01\/19\/2026\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Adrian Matejka","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52210096898229,"sku":"9781324097501","price":24.64,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_8e8dd86d-8ca0-4956-917d-cc70805a0a51.jpg?v=1770132453","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/be-easy-new-and-selected-poems-9781324097501","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}