Books published by City Lights Books

The famed New York School bard's ruminations and deep ponderings, written during random Manhattan lunch hours.

Delicately crafted, intensely visual, deeply personal stories explore the nature of memory, family ties, and the difficult imbalances of love.

The sequel to his famous book, More Notes of a Dirty Old Man reprints rare Bukowski columns unseen in decades.

The first novel written in the Yoruba language and one of the first to be written in any African language.

First and only book of speeches on racism, community, freedom, and politics in the U.S. by international icon Angela Davis.

Neruda's long-overlooked third book of poetry, critical in his poetic evolution, now translated into English for the very first time!

A scalding indictment of how the wealthy influence the national economy, politics, and media to disadvantage those less fortunate.

Beat Atlas is the ultimate tour guide for those interested in the Beats and their travels "on the road."

Finalist for the 2022 National Book Critics' Circle Award for Poetry! Winner of a 2022 Palestine Book Award“Written from his native Gaza, Abu Toha’s accomplished debut contrasts scenes of political violence with natural beauty."—The New York TimesIn this poetry debut Mosab Abu Toha writes about his life under siege in Gaza, first as a child, and then as a young father. A survivor of four brutal military attacks, he bears witness to a grinding cycle of destruction and assault, and yet, his poetry is inspired by a profound humanity.These poems emerge directly from the experience of growing up and living in constant lockdown, and often under direct attack. Like Gaza itself, they are filled with rubble and the ever-present menace of surveillance drones policing a people unwelcome in their own land, and they are also suffused with the smell of tea, roses in bloom, and the view of the sea at sunset. Children are born, families continue traditions, students attend university, and libraries rise from the ruins as Palestinians go on about their lives, creating beauty and finding new ways to survive.Accompanied by an in-depth interview (conducted by Ammiel Alcalay) in which Abu Toha discusses life in Gaza, his family origins, and how he came to poetry.Praise for Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear:“Mosab Abu Toha is an astonishingly gifted young poet from Gaza, almost a seer with his eloquent lyrical vernacular … His poems break my heart and awaken it, at the same time. I feel I have been waiting for his work all my life.”—Naomi Shihab Nye“Though forged in the bleak landscape of Gaza, he conjures a radiance that echoes Miłosz and Kabir. These poems are like flowers that grow out of bomb craters and Mosab Abu Toha is an astonishing talent to celebrate.”—Mary Karr"Mosab Abu Toha's Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear arrives with such refreshing clarity and voice amidst a sea of immobilizing self-consciousness. It is no great feat to say a complicated thing in a complicated way, but here is a poet who says it plain: 'In Gaza, some of us cannot completely die.' Later, 'This is how we survived.' It’s remarkable. This is poetry of the highest order."—Kaveh Akbar

Essays on racial flashpoints, white denial, violence, and the manipulation of fears in America today.

In gritty, sometimes fantastical stories about Latinx life, women challenge feminine stereotypes and make sense of fractured family histories.

Fast-paced frontline reporting and analysis on the militaristic spread of US Border Patrol and the long-term consequences for free society.