Looking Up: Poems from the National Cathedral Gargoyles

by Jeff Sypeck

From light verse and straightforward sonnets to strange soliloquies and songs, Looking Up gives voice to the stony figures that adorn Washington National Cathedral--the beasts, fiends, and sentinels that watch us as we pass unknowingly beneath them.

Rooted in folklore and myth, medieval history, and the cathedral's restorative gardens and grounds, the 53 poems in this book awaken some of Washington's most enigmatic residents. Whether malevolent or benign, each creature offers its own solution to an old, beguiling "What do they want of us, those long-necked gargoyles who howl in the heights?"

Proceeds from this book will benefit Washington National Cathedral's earthquake repair fund.

138 pages, Paperback

First published August 10, 2012

Reviews

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who cannot love the Gargoyles even just a little bit?
This is a little book of poems dedicated to the Gargoyles that stand guard at the heights of the Washington National Cathedral.

Black and white photos included.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable, lively, thoughtful, playful collection of verse. The author dabbles in a broad variety of poetic forms, keeping the reading fresh. Well done.