CLASS ENCOUNTERS Poetry by Maketa Smith-Groves ... Maketa Smith-Groves is a reincarnate William Carlos Williams, recording specifics of an urban world so down and out that only those born of it are permitted to wander its ghost realm. When she brings this sensibility to a more familiar scenery, it is with compassion for its discarded broken denizens and exhausted working class ignored by the entitled, such as in L.A.'s bright horrors. Moving, accurate snapshots without a tough persona or preaching rhetoric. You haven't been here before. Marc Olmsted -poet, and author of Don't Hesitate Knowing Allen Ginsberg. Maketa Smith-Groves has given her life to the poem, as these works so clearly and beautifully demonstrate. Her voice is strong, as she continues to practice the art and craft of poetry, with true devotion. This collection will take its place on the shelf of literature that lasts. Neeli Cherkovski -poet, memoirist and literary chronicler. His latest book of poetry is, The Crow. The poems ... are marvelous Elias Schneitter -poet, novelist, and co-founder, Sprachsalz Literary Festival. Co-author of, The Two Austrians of North Beach. Maketa Smith-Groves is a truly important representative of American poetry. Her poetry unites the blues of Mississippi, the harshness of the struggle to survive in Detroit, and the sensitivity of an outsider in San Francisco. Hers, is a distinguished voice in American Literature. -Sprachsalz Literary Festival Review, Innsbruck, Austria About the Author International poet Maketa Smith-Groves, a native of Detroit, Michigan, has lived in California for many decades. For her first collection of poetry, Red Hot on a Silver Note (Curbstone Press), she received the PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Award. In 2014, she was honored with the Acker Award for exemplary Avant-Garde excellence. She currently divides her time between the U.S. and Europe