Adult Night at Skate World by Christina Kallery

The poems in Adult Night at Skate World sift out the glitter in the gravel, unearthing both heartbreak and moments of transcendence in the seemingly mundane. These are songs of the anti-poetic, overlooked and assumed lost cause: Craigslist Missed Connections, getting snubbed at a rock show, middle-aged roller rink attendees, the class loser, a swan longing to mate with a paddleboat. But instead of scorn, they invite our laughter. Instead of dismissal, compassion. In place of cool cynicism, awe.