Behold

An inspired synthesis of human anatomy and the architecture of space, Behold lyrically explores how our passing bones are tuned to celestial bodies that keep time in eons. A bestselling author weaves science and spirit, geometry and verse, into an eye-opening origin story linking the cosmos and people. The son of a rocket scientist, he sets off on a vision quest, to chiseled arches in Rome, sky-high sandstone arcs in Utah, and the legendary island of Samos, home to ancient Greek stargazers. Behold is an ode to order. A single family of elegant curves is behind not just heavenly bodies, but the very bones that make us human, the foot and jaw, the cradles of walking and talking. This illustrated poetry book is a hymn to that harmony.

"Behold warmly invites the reader to look again at our world and wonder at its design, paying close attention to the curves that have defined life and imagination from the beginning of time. From the curve of a smile to waves on the Mississippi to a parabolic church to the bend of a rainbow, Michael McCarthy extends our gaze into the universe to ponder the elliptical orbits of planets, moons, comets. The arch of our foot connects us to our home on Earth, but our gaze connects us to the heavenly curves of the cosmos. This book aims to behold the beauty of this marvelously grand design and bless it."
--Richard Jones, editor of Poetry East, and author of Passport

"McCarthy's curiosity, discerning eye, and brilliant imagination take the reader on a fascinating journey through the shapes of our lives, and how these shapes align with the life of the spirit. These poems are a must-read for scientists and mystics alike."
--Elizabeth Myhr, author of the practice of devotion

Michael McCarthy is a national bestselling author, whose nonfiction books include The Sun Farmer, Ashes Under Water and The Hidden Hindenburg. His poetry has appeared in prestigious literary journals including The Southern Review and Poetry East. Behold is his first poetry collection.



Kimberly Callas is a multi-media artist, sculptor, and the lead artist of the Social Practice project Discovering the Ecological Self. Her work has been exhibited internationally in galleries and museums.

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