The Essential Hits of Shorty Bon Bon: Poems

A suite of poems about a percussionist in 1970 Spanish Harlem music circles, from the author of The Crazy Bunch

A National Book Critics Circle 2014 Finalist for Poetry

Through dream song and elegy, alternate takes and tempos, prizewinning poet Willie Perdomo's third collection crackles with vitality and dynamism as it imagines the life of a percussionist, rebuilding the landscape of his apprenticeship, love, diaspora, and death. At the beginning of his infernal journey, Shorty Bon Bon recalls his live studio recording with a classic 1970s descarga band, sharing his recollection with an unidentified poet. This opening section is followed by a call-and-response with his greatest love, a singer named Rose, and a visit to Puerto Rico that inhabits a surreal nationalistic dreamscape, before a final jam session where Shorty recognizes his end and a trio of voices seek to converge on his elegy.

Author: Willie Perdomo
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 03/25/2014
Series: Penguin Poets
Pages: 80
Weight: 0.25lbs
Size: 8.20h x 5.40w x 0.40d
ISBN: 9780143125235


Award: National Book Critics Circle Award - Finalist
Award: Hurston/Wright LEGACY Award - Nominee