Sharon Bryan's fourth poetry collection blends such disparate subjects as biology, astronomy, sports, philosophy, and music to probe humankind's desire for spiritual, even physical, transcendence. From Charles Mingus to Charles Barkley, from Buddy Holly to Bishop Berkeley, no reference is squandered in Bryan's prodigious imagination.

Sharon Bryan's awards include the Academy of American Poets Prize, the Discovery Prize from "The Nation," and two NEA fellowships. She has published three poetry collections and edited "Planet on the Table: Poets on the Reading Life" and "Where We Stand: Women Poets on Literary Tradition." She is a visiting professor of poetry at the University of Connecticut at Storrs.

James Cutler, a high school physics teacher, is shattered by the suicide of his most promising student. Hoping to gain perspective and peace of mind, he travels with his wife, Phyllis, to Vermont to spend the summer at the farm of old friends, Josh and Lucy Blair. "The Body of a Young Man" is a deeply moving story of four people whose friendship asks more than they can give and offers more than they can take. Only in observing another tragedy does James begin to see vulnerability as a virtue and ambiguity as a source of strength.

'The essays in Where We Stand are utterly absorbing in their clarity, vitality, and variety, reminding us--if we need reminding--of the special vigor that marks the female literary tradition. If you are a woman (whatever you do), if you are a poet (whatever your sex), but especially if you are a woman poet, you'll find this collection fascinating.' -Sandra Gilbert