Order Your Copy of Blue Ink Tears Today!
Welcome Roberto to Speak at Your School
About the Author
Roberto Germán is a Dominican-American native of Lawrence, Massachusetts. He is a product of Lawrence Public Schools, Central Catholic High School, and the Boys and Girls Club in Lawrence.
When he was twenty years old, Roberto introduced and co-led a spoken word movement in the city of Lawrence that took the city by storm from 2001-2003. This movement became the beginning of a writing revolution that inspired young people in the city of Lawrence to find their voices through the arts, particularly spoken word poetry and rap. He accomplished this with his former performing arts group, the Soul Kaliber Movement, and by his ability to collaborate with diverse organizations and individuals.Â
Roberto's teaching experience includes serving as an English teacher at Lawrence High School and as a Spanish teacher at St. John’s Preparatory School. He holds a Master’s Degree from Boston College’s Lynch School of Education in Educational Administration and a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in English, from Merrimack College.
About the Book
Since 7th grade, poetry has been an outlet for me. It helps me navigate all of who I am and what I feel. In college, as I looked across all my pages and all the tears shed in blue ink, I realized I had a book in my hands; a compilation of all my secrets and wonderings. Blue Ink Tears is for those that understand what it is to live the beautiful struggle, and to offer insight to those that don't.
In this three-part bilingual poetry collection I tell stories about love, relationships, race, identity, and more. Written over the span of 20 years, you'll hear from teen Roberto all the way to adult me.
Check out Roberto at St. Pete Reads Lit Fest TV Special!
 wtsp.com
Buy the Book
Blue Ink Tears is available as an E-Book, Audio Book, or a Soft Cover (shipping & handling rates will be applied).
Discounts are available as you purchase BUNDLES in bulk:
10% discount if purchasing 25+. Use code 10OFF at checkout.
Ways to Partner
A class set of books (approx. 20) and a virtual 30-minute author Q&A visit.
A class set of books (approx. 20) and a 1-hour virtual class writing workshop.
A class set of books (approx. 20) and an in-person visit or workshop.
Keynote speaker for all-school assembly or special event.
What People Are Saying:
Tanya Manning-Yarde, author & editor
Blue Ink Tears is a work of emotional beauty, historical awe, and nostalgic reminiscence. What you've compiled here is a collection of experiences, not just poems, that will make young readers think and dig deep.
Caroline Shaw, 9th Grade
This collection is beautifully written. It evokes emotion, sympathy, and shows a glimpse into his life, giving a true sense of personal connection with Roberto. I was able to relate with the struggles of growing up and finding who I am.
Kanaan Brown, 8th Grade
As an African American male, I connected to many of the poems in this book because they reflected personal moments that I have also experienced. I suggest this book to any young person, particularly youth of color who enjoy poetry. You won't be disappointed!
Melissa Smith, author of Teach Living Poets and The Norton Guide to AP Literature
Blue Ink Tears Invites us in with tenderness, opening with a tribute to the strength and unconditional love of the matriarchs in his family. As Roberto’s journey traverses from youthful desire to celebrating his hometown to the grief of losing a parent, we see him explore the complexities of masculinity and vulnerability. Interspersed with the excitement of a soulmate-kind of love, however, are more culturally-responsive poems that grapple with the effects of colonization and racism. Germán draws on the language and culture of his Dominican heritage to move toward justice and, ultimately, love.
Dr. Sonja Cherry-Paul, New York Times Best-Selling Author and Founder of Red Clay Educators
This is the kind of anthology that when you pick it up you immediately know exactly whose hands you need to get it into- someone with big feelings in need of reading the words of someone who recognizes their humanity.
