Of Silence and Song

by Dan Beachy-Quick

Musings on joy and suffering, midlife and meaning, by a National Book Award–nominated poet and essayist praised for his “fine ear” (Publishers Weekly).Midway through the journey of his life, Dan Beachy-Quick found himself without a path, unsure how to live well. Of Silence and Song follows him on his resulting classical search for meaning in the world and in his particular, quiet life. In essays, fragments, marginalia, images, travel writing, and poetry, Beachy-Quick traces his relationships and identities. As father and husband. As teacher and student. As citizen and scholar. And as poet and reader, wondering at the potential and limits of literature.Of Silence and Song finds its inferno—and its paradise—in moments both historically vast and nakedly intimate. disappearing bees, James Eagan Holmes, Columbine, and the persistent, unforgivable crime of slavery. And in the art of Marcel Duchamp, the pressed flowers in Emily Dickinson’s Bible, and long walks with his youngest daughter.Curious, earnest, and masterful, Of Silence and Song is an unforgettable exploration of the human soul.Praise for the writing of Dan “Intelligent, compassionate, exquisite . . . a unique voice.” —Cole Swensen“Rich, profound, fascinating.” —Los Angeles Times

Genres: Poetry, Essays, Nonfiction

352 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 12, 2017

Reviews

[Madeline Augusta Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is one of the most important (to me) books i’ve read in a really long time. i don’t think anything i’ve read recently has let me write as much as this book has — i cannot say it is a must read because i don’t think the book believes that it is a must read, but it is something that does and undoes and does again and again. i loved all of it and from it i made something new.

[Kevin O'Rourke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of Silence and Song doesn’t just reward close, attentive reading. In fact, it demands it.

Read my review on the Michigan Quarterly Review blog: http://www.michiganquarterlyreview.co...