Winner of the 2021 Academy of American Poets James Laughlin Award

A 2022 Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist in Poetry

A blistering exploration of America’s legacy of anti-Black violence from an indispensable poet of our time


American history got you down? Are you feeling alienated? Join poet James Cagney in his blistering second collection, Martian: The Saint of Loneliness, as he journeys through time, space, and memory with caustic, satirical beauty. Recall American history through its spent shell casings! Turn familial ghosts into art valuable for generations! In these fully charged poems, James Cagney storms through American fields blooming with artillery and anger on his thirsty quest for love, peace, and acceptance in the smallest, most precious gestures.
JAMES CAGNEY was born in Oakland, California in 1968. He studied writing and poetry independently, via the public library, workshops, and the abundant open mic scene in the Bay Area. Cagney is a Cave Canem fellow and has performed in many venues, museums, and programs throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as Sacramento, Vancouver, Chicago, and Seattle. He is the author of Black Steel Magnolias In The Hour of Chaos Theory, winner of the PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Award, and his newest book, MARTIAN: The Saint of Loneliness, is the winner of the 2021 James Laughlin Award from the Academy of American Poets.

About

Winner of the 2021 Academy of American Poets James Laughlin Award

A 2022 Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist in Poetry

A blistering exploration of America’s legacy of anti-Black violence from an indispensable poet of our time


American history got you down? Are you feeling alienated? Join poet James Cagney in his blistering second collection, Martian: The Saint of Loneliness, as he journeys through time, space, and memory with caustic, satirical beauty. Recall American history through its spent shell casings! Turn familial ghosts into art valuable for generations! In these fully charged poems, James Cagney storms through American fields blooming with artillery and anger on his thirsty quest for love, peace, and acceptance in the smallest, most precious gestures.

Author

JAMES CAGNEY was born in Oakland, California in 1968. He studied writing and poetry independently, via the public library, workshops, and the abundant open mic scene in the Bay Area. Cagney is a Cave Canem fellow and has performed in many venues, museums, and programs throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as Sacramento, Vancouver, Chicago, and Seattle. He is the author of Black Steel Magnolias In The Hour of Chaos Theory, winner of the PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Award, and his newest book, MARTIAN: The Saint of Loneliness, is the winner of the 2021 James Laughlin Award from the Academy of American Poets.

Books for National Depression Education and Awareness Month

For National Depression Education and Awareness Month in October, we are sharing a collection of titles that educates and informs on depression, including personal stories from those who have experienced depression and topics that range from causes and symptoms of depression to how to develop coping mechanisms to battle depression.

Read more

Horror Titles for the Halloween Season

In celebration of the Halloween season, we are sharing horror books that are aligned with the themes of the holiday: the sometimes unknown and scary creatures and witches. From classic ghost stories and popular novels that are celebrated today, in literature courses and beyond, to contemporary stories about the monsters that hide in the dark, our list

Read more

Books for LGBTQIA+ History Month

For LGBTQIA+ History Month in October, we’re celebrating the shared history of individuals within the community and the importance of the activists who have fought for their rights and the rights of others. We acknowledge the varying and diverse experiences within the LGBTQIA+ community that have shaped history and have led the way for those

Read more