In her dazzling first book, POINT OF DEPARTURE, Marina Jaffe explores regions of place and regions of identity in a collection of poems that is so much more than a travelogue. The poet interacts with street kids in Central America, writing poems with heart, but also with a hard eye at the unfortunate realities these children face. The book also examines the lives of fellow continent hoppers, including the tough decisions they make, towards or against conformity, society, and stasis. Poems also examine family and its legacy, its identity blueprint in a postmodern age.