
Set against the backdrop of the turbulent 1960s, American Boy explores the trenchant issues of a century just passed: the Vietnam War, the disintegration of family, child abuse, adultery, divorce, the plight of Native Americans, the emergence of jazz, and the loss of innocence.
Emerging from a childhood shattered by divorce, the poet struggles to overcome scars of his past. The poems are gentle, funny, sarcastic, and heartbreaking. Full of energy and spirit, weirdness and love, this first collection is a journey across real and imagined landscapes filled with fascinating characters, passion, and pain---a journey into adulthood.
"When the pure products of America go crazy, ... Smith has the eye and ear to transform their madness into poetry." -- Campbell McGrath, author of Spring Comes to Chicago