El Cerrito native Tess Taylor unravels a rich and troubling family history through poetry in her recently released book, The Forage House. Taylor traces her personal ancestry to the Randolph Jeffersons, one of Virginia's most prominent slave-holding families. Her poems move between past and present, east and west, and record an uneasy genealogist struggling with an ambiguous legacy. They ask what family stories contain and what they leave out, and how fragments exert force now. Publisher's Weekly calls The Forage House "one of the four best books of poetry this year." Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky says, "The poise, candor, and reach of this book--with a vision that embraces the enigmas of contemporary El Cerrito along with those of the slave-owner Jefferson--are deeply impressive." FREE. Call 925-973.2850 or visit http://ccclib.org/locations/sanramon.html to register.
