The Valley of the Eight

Famous for his long poems exploring the paranormal, the weird and the unexplained, Matt Bialer here turns his poetic and interpretive talents to the story of Noah’s Ark. Familiar in the West from the Old Testament book of Genesis, the story of a great flood and a boatbuilder is far older than that biblical tale, and has existed in many cultures and religions for thousands of years. Despite there being—at least so far—no archaeological evidence of a widespread inundation, this colourful tale continues to exercise a powerful hold on the imaginations of both theologians and scientists. The Valley of the Eight dips into the ancient tale itself, and then shifts its attention to the search for, and alleged discovery of, the remains of the Ark on Mount Ararat in modern day Turkey. Fascinating, knowledgeable and clever, this is Matt Bialer at his very best.

Matt Bialer is the author of numerous previous books of poetry including Radius and Wing of Light (Les Editions du Zaporogue), Already Here, Ark, Black Powder, (Black Coffee Press), Bridge and Frequencies (Leaky Boot Press), Tell Them What I Saw (PS Publishing), He Walks On All Fours and Kings of Men (Dynatox Ministries) and Ascent (Bizarro Pulp Press). His poems have appeared in many print and online journals including Le Zaporogue, Green Mountains Review, Gobbet, Forklift Ohio and H_NGM_N.  He is an acclaimed black and white street photographer and watercolorist who has exhibited widely Matt lives with his wife and daughter in Park Slope, Brooklyn.