Renaissance, Ruth Forman's second collection, speaks of the timeless themes of family, death, love, and rebirth in the inimitable voice Booklist called 'sexy, bittersweet, funny, feisty, and real.' With poetry that conveys a defiant, enlivened spirit and has won her acclaim, Ruth Forman measures the losses and celebrates the future of a generation. 'Renaissance is the fulfillment of Forman's first book, We Are the Young Magicians. Hers is a commitment to the possibilities of life. Joy. Beauty (though terrible at times on this earth). What an impressive, rich song she sings.' -Sonia Sanchez 'Stunning and beautiful . . . incantatory language that heals; through references to writers of the Harlem Renaissance, the work builds a bridge for a new generation. These poems acknowledge some painful history, both personal and collective, but they lift us from that pain.' -Library Journal