Crossing the Border: Collected Poems

By Daniel A. Olivas

From acclaimed fiction writer and book critic, Daniel A. Olivas, comes his first collection of poetry, Crossing the Border.  These narrative poems delve deeply into the many ways we cross borders of race, culture, language, religion, and privilege. With humor and pathos, Olivas draws from his own life and from the stories of others

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pact Press
• Release date: Jun 1, 2017
• ISBN: 9780991261291

Daniel A. Olivas

Daniel A. Olivas, the grandson of Mexican immigrants, is an award-winning author of eight books . Olivas earned his degree in English literature from Stanford University, and law degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. Since 1990, he has served as an attorney in the California Department of Justice's Public Rights Division. Olivas and his wife make their home in Los Angeles and are the parents of an adult son.

Book preview

Crossing the Border

]>

Copyright © 2017 by Daniel A. Olivas

First published as a Regal House paperback 2017

Published by arrangement with

Pact Press and Regal House Publishing, LLC, Raleigh 27607

>

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN 978-0-9912612-8-4

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017942250

Cover photography by Anuta Berg/Shutterstock

Regal House Publishing, LLC.

pactpress.com

https://regalhousepublishing.com

]>

For Sue and Ben

]>

Acknowledgments

I am not the first writer to consider poetry a form of storytelling. I draw upon many sources including my life (as in Hot Tuesday on Rinaldi and Papa Wrote), the lives of people I have had the honor of knowing (Slip Dream and Why Did You Believe), or news events (Crossing the Border and Woman Gets Probation in Child Neglect Case), to name a few obvious inspirations. Regardless of my poems’ roots, I have many to thank for helping bring my first book of poetry to life:

Heartfelt thanks to Pact Press for understanding my poetic vision and accepting my manuscript as the press’s debut title. May you sell many books!

Mil gracias to the wonderful writers Himilce Novas, Rigoberto González and Patty Seyburn who all offer kind words (blurbs!) in support of my book. Each of you has been an inspiration to me, and I deeply appreciate your selfless support of a fellow author.

I thank the editors of those lovely literary journals who bring poetry to readers and who first published many of the poems that make up this volume. Those journals are proudly acknowledged at the end of this book.

Over the years, I have become friends with so many writers, editors, educators, librarians, bookstore owners, and others who live in a world of the printed (and online) word. We are a community, and we are strong.

A special thanks to my parents, Miguel and Isabel Olivas, who made sure that their children had access to books. You instilled in me the joy of reading which is the first step to becoming a writer.

And, as always, I thank my wife, Sue Formaker, and our son, Benjamin Formaker-Olivas, who make my life joyous, meaningful, and delightfully crazy!

]>

Advance Praise for Crossing the Border

"The poetry of Daniel Olivas rings distinctly wise, sensitive, and true. All are welcomed here, from the woman writing to her lover in prison, to the victims of a tragic flood. The injustices and devastations of past and present will not be silenced