Rodrigo Toscano's poetry, like his work in the labor movement, has become a cutting edge laboratory for social action. Does "poetry make nothing happen"? Don't tell that to Toscano, whose dizzying, polyvocal poetry begins with the speech of two nations and deconstructs it to a revolutionary music. Toscano's work has won him many fans among the "Language" and "post-Language" poets, but it's a nightmarish mirror of the social realities behind both the headlines and the stories we don't hear about. Originally from San Diego, Toscano's forthcoming books include The Disparities (Sun and Moon), and Partisans (O Books). His work has appeared in journals such as New American Writing, Chain, West Coast Line, Poetics Journal, The Washington Review, Zyzzyva, Big Allis, Tripwire, Object/Torque and others. He is currently at work on an as yet untitled book commissioned by Atelos Press.

September 18, 1998