Geoffrey Tungsten’s Grievesome River was written and illustrated by Richard Lucyshyn in Richmond, Virginia, 2015-16, and published by Sybil Press, 2016. Hand printed and bound by Jillian Gayle Gomez in San Antonio and San Marcos, Texas. Edited by Norberto Gomez Jr. in Baltimore, Maryland. Typeface Adobe Caslon Pro. Paper includes Stonehenge White and Mohawk Gold Vellum. 2nd edition.

20 pages, 4.25 x 5.5 inches   

"Tungsten is a difficult element. Never alone, it is found only in compounds and must be extracted. Even then it is brittle and difficult to work, but the work is worth it. This is in part because of Tungsten’s permanence – it has the highest melting point of all the elements – and in part because of its density and shine. So it is with Geoffrey Tungsten, whose voice has been extracted it seems from a great morass, only to arrive as fine and robust as carved stone. And, he comes to us from a carver who is never minimal, but who has learned to make carving symphonic. The result is that by following a trace of beauty we glimpse the magic required to make words tell us the truth, or, as Geoffrey himself puts it, to “say wing and hear wing.” Please treat yourself to this small book with big designs on your clavicytherium heart." 

- Jack Christian, author of Family System

"Richard Lucyshyn's Tungsten has the fire like Prometheus stole it for us, delivering a sweet litany for the unborn, for breath, spirit, and renewal.  This little book of life is truly an Infinite Heartbeat Generator, in which the poems sing bold and true and the pictures kill you with their raw dignity of line.  It's like a sharp cold river you can inch a foot into and never want to pull it out, even though it hurts."

-Cathryn Hankla, author of Fortune Teller Miracle Fish, Last Exposures, et al

"Richard Lucyshyn is a poet of landscapes, both internal and external, and he finds a way to make real all the unnameable aches in our bones, all the ecstasies and devestations of being alive on Earth. I turn to these beautiful poems for comfort -- to hear certain truths articulated, some for the first time -- but also to be challenged. This is the sort of book you'll carry close for the rest of your life."

-Amanda Petrusich, author of Do Not Sell at Any Price: The Wild, Obsessive Hunt for the World's Rarest 78rpm Records, et al

Bio

Richard Lucyshyn was educated at The College of Wiliam and Mary and Hollins University. His poems have appeared in numerous print and electronic journals, and he has shown artwork in both group invitational and two-person shows. His drawings and paintings can be found in many private collections throughout the country. He lives and works in Richmond, VA with his wife, two young children, and rescued animals.