"We quest here an Endless, where peeling away layers of land
grows us into something vast."
Photograph by Tim Goodman
The Distant Sound
Latest release by Eliot Schain
"The smaller moments of a life become epic and transcendent through the attentions of the poet’s mind. This is Eliot Schain’s gift. Nothing is ordinary—not an old friendship from youth, not a spouse of many years. Everything is seen keenly and anew."
— Kazim Ali
"Intense and energetic, these poems cut through to the inner workings of the soul. Schain’s dense lines are packed with layers of meaning that move between incredibly dark moments and glowing bright spots. An absolutely beautiful collection of poems."
—Judy Halebsky
Purchase The Distant Sound
from Sixteen Rivers Press
More praise for the poetry
An unforgettable modern voice… In Schain’s poetry, the inexhaustible American hunger confronts its limits—wilderness defiled by industry, the nuclear family gone ballistic, love turned impossible. Here widom and madness live side-by-side, take the reader’s hand, and walk us toward the uncertain future. Once you have heard his cadences, you will not forget.
Eliot Schain is a treasure—a poet with a sharp edge and a broad canvass. Some artists have irony, some have vision; Schain has both, and tests them against each other with fire and wit. The results are wild, beautiful, and necessary.
Reviews and Readings
See Eliot's review of W.S. Merwin's last two books, published online at PoetryFlash.org.