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Scott Cairns collected his poems in a new book entitled Slow Pilgrim, which recollects his pilgrimage as a Christian in many of the poems.The book brings theology and poetry together, but In this case, the pilgrimage comes through an embrace of the Orthodox church and apophatic theology, which helps us to know God, not by comparisons or figurative language but by showing us Who and What God is not. However, the poems also connect us to everyday events with a realism lacking in typical 'religious verse'. In addition to digging through our collective or individual past, these poems give us a new take on familiar Bible stories and intimate relationships.
His poems are replete with illusions and inspirations from Greek saints, Christian doctrines and Scripture. The God who gives life, who is the end and aim of all beauty and good, can be seen poking his wry smile through these pages. This book is a gift, a companion and a joy.
About the author
Librettist, essayist, translator, and author of ten poetry collections,
Scott Cairns is Curators' Distinguished Professor Emeritus at University of Missouri. His poems and essays have appeared in
Poetry, Image, Paris Review, The Atlantic Monthly, The New Republic, and both have been anthologized in multiple editions of
Best American Spiritual Writing. He received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2006, and the Denise Levertov Award in 2014.
