Out of the Dust is a collection of new poems by activist, leader, poet, and editor Janice Mirikitani. After being named San Francisco's second Poet Laureate in 2000, this fifth book of poems from Mirikitani was written in response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Mirikitani's poems cover topics about rape, incest, the continued struggle for justice and economic equality, and the poet's experiences throughout her 50-year career at Glide Foundation and Church in San Francisco. Though constructed from a depth of experiences with struggle, these poems also erupt in celebration of marriage, daughters, and the discovery of self through diversity.