Barnes, Barry We Sleep In a Burning House: Poems $12. 80 pp. 978-0980010206, 2008. Lawrence musician and performance poet’s critique of African American experience. Barry Barnes is aware of the place around him¿ Lawrence, Kansas, the boyhood home of Langston Hughes. Like Hughes, he finds social inequities rooted in human flaws. He critiques the war in Iraq, the wash of media blather, poverty, and racism. He also celebrates the music, the landscape, and the warmth of family ties. This collection of performance poetry and reflections showcases the enormous talent of Barry Barnes. Cover portrait and design by Paul Hotvedt (www.paulhotvedt.com ) Links for Barry Barnes: http://facebook.com/BarryWashboardBarnes  https://myspace.com/thebongofuries

                                DIGITAL CAGE

                                I’ve go to get home. My favorite show is on.

                                You’ll have to wait. I’m charging my cell phone.

                                My computer is frozen. I don’t know what to do.

                                without my MP3 player plugged into my ear

                                how do you expect me to get from here to there?