num_pages: 125
description: 1991 PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Award for Literary ExcellenceThe Concrete River is a collection of poems by poet laureate of Los Angeles Luis Rodríguez. They illuminate the gritty idiosyncrasies of immigrant life in urban barrios spanning Los Angeles to Chicago to Harlem. Rodríguez lends powerful voices to those struggling to keep the gas on, to find work, and to keep love.  Populated by a vibrant cast of characters, ranging from the drugged, to the eccentric, to the heartbroken, Rodríguez’s poems protest capitalism, violence, and exploitation while reveling in the potential of compassion.
language: English
title: The Concrete River: Poems
titlecomplete: The Concrete River: Poems
genres: Poetry
ratings_count: 125
publisher: Curbstone Books