THIS WORKS PRESS
In Falling Asleep In America, Neal Zagarella challenges to America to live up to its ideals and the words of its founding documents. Through urgent, topical poems and essays that place today’s most pressing issues in historical context, the collection asks us to examine not just the ideals of our country, but also our own ideals and beliefs. The book takes you from Emma Lazarus to Emma Gonzales, from the shores of the Mississippi River to the sidewalks of Baltimore. It aims to mine the truth hidden under the rhetoric and rancor that permeates our culture and our shared history.
On Top of Everything finds its protagonist, fourteen-year old Petey, caught between collecting baseball cards and crushing on neighborhood girls while trying to navigate the confusing landscape of the summer between middle school and high school. While his mostly older friends seemingly navigate these waters smoothly, Petey agonizes over his every move, trying to fit in with the boys while falling desperately for a girl named Linda. Ultimately he must decide to retreat into the lonely, comfort of his bedroom, or face the intense, complex emotions he feels toward Linda.