Locomotion

This volume comprises 60 poems written by the novel’s central character and narrator-poet “Locomotion” (the nickname of Lonnie Collins Motion). Introduced to the joys of poetry by his teacher, Ms. Marcus, Lonnie’s revelations about himself are drawn out by his discovery of the emotive qualities encouraged by poetry’s various forms, from haiku to sonnet. As he becomes more comfortable as a writer, Lonnie reveals the secret that at age seven, he and his sister were orphaned when their parents died in a fire. Throughout the collection, Lonnie’s personal growth corresponds with his willingness to become a more adventurous writer.