Describing this collection of his poems, John Allman writes, "It is a
book about the inner and outer worlds, a collection of multiple voices
and relationships. In one sense it is about suffering, family, and
survival. However, it is also about a world beyond such things, where
identity burns by itself, where the self-changes but never dies. The
book says that only change happens, but that survival without will and
compassion is meaningless. The title, taken from a line in one of the
book's ritual lyrics, suggests the four dimensions of human
consciousness and effort, and the book strives to name or embody as many
landscapes as possible--though it is the 'vertical' one given to
religion and death that remains an abiding puzzle."
Originally published in 1979.
The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand
technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from
the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions
preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting
them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the
Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich
scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by
Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.