Rent EATS First

The Rent Eats First is a poetry collection by Eric Sirota that takes aim at capitalism and the so-called American Dream. Its tone mixes anger and satire, and it pairs real urgency with sarcastic humor. Sirota works as a public interest lawyer representing low-income tenants, and he draws on that work alongside personal stories and cultural moments. Together they build a wide picture of systemic inequality. His sharp critique extends to the social and governmental systems that produce these disparities. The poems also deal with his own struggles with mental health, self-image and relationships during a time of social crisis. In this way the collection treats political problems as emotional ones. Its varied, pointed forms convey the chaos of a discriminatory and ineffective system, and the book offers an earnest account of how hard it is to fight a system from inside it.