Its Shadow Rakes the Grass

The well-carpentered, keenly-observed poems in Christophersen's Its Shadow Rakes the Grass describe the beauties and disappointments of urban living, the heart-stopping, day-to-day challenge of caring for an ill parent, and insights drawn from nature and the news. These subjects are conveyed in highly accomplished sonnets and haiku, or in the voices of spicy characters you won't meet in Manhattan conference rooms. You are in the hands of a master craftsman here; these poems will crack your shell.

-Bruce E. Whitacre, author of The Elk in the Glade



The title of this stunning collection by Bill Christophersen is taken from the last sentence of the last poem, "Shadow." By the time you have read it, you will have traveled through every possible exploration of what "shadow" means. Many of these poems feature unforgettable, dangerous encounters that will leave your consciousness altered.

-Helen Engelhardt, author of The Longest Night/A Personal History of Pan Am 103



A key sequence in Its Shadow Rakes the Grass speaks to a time in our lives that we dread to face: taking care of a loved one who has changed into a person we might not always recognize. These poems display a meeting of intellect, heart and heartbreak. Only an adroit poet can turn "IV trees, their crimson fruit in bloom" into something beautiful. This book addresses the human condition in poems we can't help but cleave to.

-Jennifer Juneau, author of More Than Moon