Cityboy

Cityboy offers a portrait of a man bound to a place that both defines and devours him. For John Argent Jr., the city is not just home, but a force. As a boy, it pulses with promise. As a man, it becomes a maze of missed connections and quiet unraveling.

Through Ario's understated prose, we follow John's journey from youthful idealism to disillusionment as he wrestles with mental illness, conformity, and the need to be seen. The city is his sanctuary, his prison, and ultimately, his reflection.

A poignant exploration of identity and belonging, Cityboy speaks to anyone who's ever felt overlooked or wondered whether home truly sees them.

About the author: a lifelong resident of Minneapolis, Bruce Ario (1955-2022) suffered a traumatic brain injury, homelessness, and mental health struggles before becoming a great American poet. He is best known for his activism, his artistic innovations, and a unique coming-of-age novel, Cityboy.

Bruce Ario named poet Dan Schneider as his literary executor. Schneider collated Bruce Ario's novel, Cityboy, into the legendary Restored Version of the 1990s, which is presented in this publication alongside Schneider's critical essay on the novel's reconstruction. Schneider also collected Bruce Ario's poetry into The Minneapolis Poet: Bruce Ario, Selected Poems (1980-2022) and Final Poems, both of which are available through automachination media.