The Players

The PlayersBy: Jill Bialosky The strongest collection yet from this widely praised poet is about the central players in our lives, our relationships over timebetween mother and son, mother and daughterand how one generation of relationships informs and shapes the next. The opening sequence, Manhood, looks at the insular world of baseball, shedding light on the complexities of gender, boyhood, and coming of age. The poet captures the electrifying, proud language

Born to an Anishinaabe father and a non-native mother

But in order to move forward he’ll need to decide—stay in the past or take a chance on something unexpected

Spider-Ham battles Doctor Octopussycat and the Swinester Six

she has a deft touch in the kitchen and a soft spot for lost causes

all described in simple

Intelligence gathering

Find out how the boy who taught himself calculus at age twelve became one of history's greatest trailblazers

unsolved murders

Nina considers her options

and mascots

Yafeu may have lost her home

At the heart of these stories is the irrepressible