I was looking at the ceiling and then I saw the sky : earthquake/romance

Best known as a political activist and an essayist, and hailed by Library Journal as "one of the most important poets today," Jordan has now written the libretto and the lyrics for an American opera. The music is composed by John Adams. I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky mixes the drama of poetry and song to construct a brilliant earthquake/romance. In the context of the timeless issues of love, the opera, set in South Central Los Angeles, explores such contemporary questions as immigration, birth control, and criminal law. A white cop, a black Baptist minister, and an El Salvadoran mother are among the young Americans cast in this heartfelt portrayal of a day in the life of an LA neighborhood. Combining her talents and mixed elements of drama, poetry, and song, award-winning African-American poet, essayist, and political activist June Jordan tells a timeless love story, set in South Central L.A. "Best known as a political activist and an essayist, and hailed by Library Journal as "one of the most important poets today," Jordan has now written the libretto and the lyrics for an American opera. The music is composed by John Adams." "I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky mixes the drama of poetry and song to construct a brilliant earthquake/romance. In the context of the timeless issues of love, the opera, set in South Central Los Angeles, explores such contemporary questions as immigration, birth control, and criminal law. A white cop, a black Baptist minister, and an El Salvadoran mother are among the young Americans cast in this heartfelt portrayal of a day in the life of an LA neighborhood."--Jacket