Evelyn Lau gained international fame in 1990 with the publication, at 21, of "Runaway, " a searing novel based on her experiences on the street. With "Treble, " she abandons the prostitutes and drug addicts of her earlier work to limn the secret lives of "normal" people. Showcasing Lau's unsparing insights and commanding language, these powerful poems explore the limits and possibilities of relationships, how people connect and drift apart, and how the cities, spaces, and places they inhabit become integral parts of the loves and losses that make up modern life.