This two-part collection by the beloved, award-winning poet looks at mortality, celebrity, pop culture, poetry, dreams, and otherworldliness in often disarming ways.

"Bedrock at Night" (think The Flintstones) is the title poem of the first section, with tributes to Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, Hollywood idols, and more. The center part is an extended Neruda-esque ode to a life cut short: that of singer Buddy Holly.

The Young Poet

I want what you have
only I want it
now
when I'm young
not when I'm old
like you

David Trinidad is known for the masterful use of popular culture in his poems. His work is also associated with the innovative formalism of the New York School. Originally from Los Angeles, Trinidad lives in Chicago, where he is a professor and Director of Graduate Programs in the Creative Writing Department at Columbia College. Swinging on a Star is his fifth poetry collection with Turtle Point Press. He has also published two collaborative works with the press.