"At once intimate and broad in scope, Contraband deftly and poignantly bridges the political and the personal, and is, at its core, a lyrical and cutting exploration of the meeting place between human suffering and resilience. In the seam, breath is outlawed, men stand on rooftops cursing bombers as explosions fall across the land. But here there is also a grandmother falling in love. This in-between place is a world where warmth and tenderness feast at the same table as dictators."

-Caprice Garvin, poet and novelist

"These poems are full of gorgeous and fresh imagery. Often, their extended metaphors are used to bring attention to and examine our everyday lives. In this examination they magnify the nuances of ordinary moments, showing the beauty and grief and, sometimes, uncertainty and confusion of life without ever forcing an answer. These poems are a testament to how the mundane is sacred."

-Rebecca Watkins, poet, author of Sometimes in These Places

"Juan Pablo Mobili navigates the branches of image that reach toward and draw from memory without a false step. His worlds, his family, his perceptions all do a dance that is a wonder to get caught up in, and the delicacy of his words belies the power of their impact. There are very few poets whose work is so consistently thought-provoking and heartfelt."

-Siwsan Gimprich, poet

"I was struck immediately by its humanism, its lyrical command born of precision and restraint. Whether he is writing about the death of his parents, or the secrets that move within us like a second body, his poems are quiet chronicles of our mysterious journeys as living creatures."

-Robert Hirschfield, poet and essayist, author of The Road to Canaan

"Juan Pablo Mobili has a rare depth of understanding that shines in everything he writes. He expresses feelings with an authenticity that sometimes will lead you to tears and at other times, a humor that will make you laugh out loud."

-Judy Emery, publisher and editor of selections from the tape letters of Robert Lax (for publication)