Cutting Teeth

As a multigenerational machinist, Ivan Hobson's debut poetry collection provides insight into generations of working-class families and their communities. Drawing from memory and oral histories, these poems not only explore Hobson's personal experiences, but also larger aspects of the American blue-collar experience. While many of the poems focus on the machine shop environment, its people, and their struggles after the shop closes, boiled down, this book is a coming-of-age story about a vulnerable young man, his relationship with his father, and the many lessons learned from family. This book contains illustrations from the artist, Earl Thollander, a Californian artist, illustrator, and author who is best known for his painting, sketching, and travel book writing. Earl earned his bachelor's degree from the University of California, and later attended San Francisco Art Institute and the Academy of Art. Earl had a great interest in traveling and started making artwork that related to the different parts of the world he visited. He became renowned for his unique drawing and painting style, often exploring the Napa Valley. In his career, Earl authored and illustrated more than 62 travel, cooking, and children's books, including Back Roads of California, Earl Thollander's San Francisco, School for Julio, and Sunset Cookbook.