Beginning to Figure Things Out

Craig Bruce McVay's book flows with graphic nostalgia brought to life with stunning language. Fresh images abound. No space is wasted; there are no slack lines. The poems are tight but accessible. Craig knows when to stop writing and end with a brilliant detail.

Farm life in Indiana is so vividly rendered that the reader relives the poet's experiences vicariously. The poems take us down "the river of sadness" and much more on a journey well

worth taking. The musicality of the book flows from poem to poem. After reading these poems, it's impossible not to want more.

-R. Nikolas Macioci, author of Why Dance? and Dark Guitar



Poems in Craig Bruce McVay's From the Wall to the Door sing of sorrow and delight, innocence and innocence betrayed. They tell stories of our compassionate yet corruptible

human nature, and speak eloquently of the salvific power of poetry. A vivid and compelling collection.

-Fred Andrle, author of rocking in the cradle of the moment



In From the Wall to the Door, Craig Bruce McVay offers an unflinching meditation on past and present. From the first poem, we are invited to "walk in step with the story" and witness the power of what poetry can do. Individually and collectively, these poems make space for mystery, memory, violence, love, and loss. Some stretch into stories; others evoke a boyhood in rural Indiana in a few spare lines. All are carefully crafted, speaking to one another across the pages, echoing with the refrain of the courage it takes to return, reflect, remember.

-Emily Patterson, author of So Much Tending Remains