Brilliant Water

Christopher Merrill's poems, essays, fiction, and reviews have appeared in many publications. He has published three collections of poems, several books of translations, a non-fiction book on soccer, and a non-fiction book on the Balkan tragedy. He is the Director of the International Program at the Iowa Writers Workshop.

"Merill has an unusual ability to place himself in the midst of things, describe the immediate scene, and then reach through the scene to explore our place within it... His range of form and subject matter is enormous and, as one moves from the early, highly lyrical poems of 'Workbook' to the new selection of tougher, more chiselled poems in 'Luck', one is struck not just by the growth of Merill's imagination but also by his tireless search for a language that captures the vitality of experience..." -- Publishers Weekly.