Author Description

An anthology of poetry, song lyrics, and prose featuring writers from Vallejo, California: Diana Alden, Olivia Anderson, Kyrah Ayers, Daniel Badiali, Vallejo Poet Laureate Emerita Genea Brice, Jessica Brown, Lei Kim Sawyer Chavez, G.O. 284, Morgan Hannigan, Travis Jackson, Jr., Kathleen, Jeffrey Kingman, Chuck Lamplighter, Vallejo Poet Laureate D.L. Lang, Lady-D, Lee Lee, Lucinda Lees, Aqueila M. Lewis, Carol Pearlman, Nina Serrano, Ravi Shankar, Erika Snyder, Jeremy Snyder, Regina Sparrow, Diana Tenes, Keith Thompson, Amber Von Nagel, Jeff Williams, Lisa Wilson, and Lois Wu. With additional contributions by: Julia Dvorin, Benicia Poet Laureate Emerita Johanna Ely, Ranjit Singh Gill, Amy Gioletti, Grey, Myra Nissen, Kelliane Parker, Poetic Old Soul, Bobby Richardson, Fred Ross-Perry, Benicia Poet Laureate Tom Stanton, Becky Bishop White, and James Westley. The idea behind this book is to shine a light on as many artists and wordsmiths as possible. It is to allow them to freely express themselves. They were not bound to form, subject matter, or even agreement with one another, so as to truly reflect the diversity of this community. This book contains both stark realism and wondrous beauty. There are poems on love, loss, pain, struggle, justice, peace, revolution, art, and many poems that celebrate our city, its people, and its places. There is a subject index at the end of this book if you’d like to skip around. You’re sure to find something that suits your fancy. Fair warning to parents who wish to shield their children, this is not a book for little kids. No one was censored. Each contributor was encouraged to be themselves, to use whatever words they saw fit, and while it is a book that came together on a common theme of Vallejo, it also contains many other subjects that each poet was passionate about. Their words will make you think about the world and its many varying perspe