Cyrus Cassells' fifth book commemorates the blazing integrity of young people caught in the vise of World War II. In its journey through the "anti-miracle" of Europe's embattled past, The Crossed-Out Swastika follows the lives of historical and semi-fictional characters to unearth and amplify moments of almost impossible music, bravery, beauty, and redemption, illuminating the human spirit against unspeakable tyranny. Cyrus Cassells grew up in the Mojave Desert. He graduated from Stanford University and has worked as a translator, film critic, and actor; he currently teaches poetry in the MFA program at Texas State University–San Marcos. Cyrus' poetry has been widely praised and he has received numerous accolades including a Pushcart Prize, a Lambda Literary Award, the National Poetry Series Prize, and the William Carlos Williams Award, as well as fellowships from the Lannan Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. He lives in Austin, Texas.