Fightin' Words: 25 Years of Provocative Poetry and Prose from "The Blue Collar" PEN

In this groundbreaking collection of poetry, essays, interviews, and fiction, more than one hundred writers affiliated with the multicultural writers' group PEN Oakland reaffirm the importance of diverse cultural voices within the literary tradition. These often controversial, always thought-provoking works span the spectrum of human experience and discourse, including: Paul Krassner's account of dancing with Ken Kesey at the pyramids of Giza, Kitty Kelley's in-print battles with George H.W. Bush, Mona Lisa Saloy's depiction of life in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, Floyd Salas' declamation against torture, Ishmael Reed and Richard Prince's discussion of the Trayvon Martin murder, Juan Felipe Herrera's joyful celebration of friendship and survival, Norman Mailer's impassioned plea for reasonable foreign policy, Al Young's evocative insights into the frailty of love, Rebecca Solnit's tribute to the Occupy Oakland movement, And more…