Citizen (Penguin Books)

Claudia Rankine's bold new book recounts mounting racial aggressions in ongoing encounters in 21st century daily life and in the media. The accumulative stresses come to bear on a person's ability to speak, perform and stay alive. Our addressability is tied to the state of our belonging, Rankine argues, as are our assumptions and expectations of citizenship. In essays, images and poetry, Citizen is a powerful testament to the individual and collective effects of racism in our contemporary, "post-race" society. Claudia Rankine is the author of four previous books, including Don't Let Me Be Lonely: An American Lyric. She is a chancellor of the Academy of American Poets and the winner of the 2014 Jackson Poetry Prize. She teaches at Pomona College in Claremont, California.