Merrill’s poems plumbs the depths of our place in things and finds instead our place in history.

Expeditions: New & Selected Poems, 1980-2025 brings together an array of poems, composed in a wide range of forms and geographical places around the world, that testify to Christopher Merrill’s justly acclaimed gift for discerning meaning and enduring truths from his experience, memory, and imagination. His curiosity is seemingly endless, and his determination to attend to the spirits present in the quotidian is impressive. From his immersion in the natural world to the war zones he has reported on and the cultural diplomatic missions he has undertaken, he explores what it means to be alive today. As Jorie Graham wrote: “In poem after poem, Merrill plumbs the depths of our place in things and finds instead our place in history. He gives us a stunning account of where we’ve come from and how we got here.”