[close] Poetry. IN THE PINES first appeared as a limited edition chapbook, which is reprinted here along with uncollected work. Spanning twenty-five years in his career, the work reflects the progression of a major voice in American letters in poems that predate his highly influential HUSH and including those that follow the publication of his selected poems in 1994. From earlier poems that reflect the decadence of their times to recent work that embodies the present world, St. John's fresh imagery draws the reader into elegant poems that resonate with the mysteries of life. "Goodbye, old friend, goodbye, goodbye .../ The only evidence is my heart. / I lived, they say, & then I died; so what? --/ In between, just a breath of scarlet smoke" ("After Esenin"). David St. John's many awards include a Guggenheim Fellowhsip and three National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships in Poetry. He currently lives in Venice, California and teaches at the University of Southern California. [close]