Poetry. LGBT Studies. Through an interlocking suite of intensely lyrical poems, Cyrus Cassells follows his "beautiful Signor," a figure who is at once a real person and an exemplar of the spirit of romantic love. These poems echo Dante's celebration of Beatrice and also the ecstasies expressed by the Suhi poets about "The Beloved," embracing "wild-hearted risk" as they embark on the soul's journey. In a world deeply wounded by the AIDS pandemic, Cassells deftly reiterates the need to experience romantic, erotic love as a gateway to spiritual realization.

Author City: AUSTIN, TX USA

Cyrus Cassells grew up in the Mojave Desert. He graduated from Stanford University and has worked as a translator, film critic, and actor; he currently teaches poetry in the MFA program at Texas State University-San Marcos. He is the author of SOUL MAKE A PATH THROUGH SHOUTING (1994), BEAUTIFUL SIGNOR (1997), MORE THAN PEACE AND CYPRESSES (2004) and THE CROSSED-OUT SWASTIKA (2012), all published by Copper Canyon Press.