Hoodlum Birds

by Eugene Gloria

In Eugene Gloria’s acclaimed first collection of poems, Drivers at the Short-Time Motel , ephemeral lives, and souls lost in the tattered fabric of war, displacement, and ruined love, found hope, redemption, and a common voice. Gloria is interested in illustrating the common man’s search for connection to the self and to the world, and that is very much apparent in his second collection. The speaker of these poems examines his lapsed Roman Catholic identity and his past; Spain, and its long and varied influence on Filipino culture; and the famous pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. These new poems build on what Gloria began in his first book by continuing this sense of collaboration with literary and cultural influence.

Genres: Poetry

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Eugene Gloria earned his BA from San Francisco State University, his MA from Miami University of Ohio, and his MFA from the University of Oregon. He is the author of three books of poems -- My Favorite Warlord (Penguin, 2012), Hoodlum Birds (Penguin, 2006) and Drivers at the Short-Time Motel (Penguin, 2000). His honors and awards include a National Poetry Series selection, an Asian American Literary Award, a Fulbright Research Grant, a San Francisco Art Commission grant, a Poetry Society of America award, and a Pushcart Prize. He teaches creative writing and English literature at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana.

Reviews

[Crystal]

It felt there were a lot of women here but only in relation to men and usually being maltreated by men.

[Patricia Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I was an I, I longed to be ethereal.

Until my whole body was an allergen.

The husband mistakes happiness
for a loosened apron