Before her untimely death in 2010, Ai, known for her searing dramatic monologues, was hailed as "one of the most singular voices of her generation" (
New York Times Book Review). Now for the first time, all eight books by this essential and uniquely American poet have been gathered in one volume.
from "The Cockfighter's Daughter"
I found my father,
face down, in his homemade chili
and had to hit the bowl
with a hammer to get it off,
then scrape the pinto beans
and chunks of ground beef
off his face with a knife.