Time Signatures

Time Signatures is a collection of poetry that weaves together several journeys; there are the literal journeys through Afghanistan and New Mexico, alongside the personal journey of a man through his long, well-lived life. These are poems that are strongly grounded either in a sense of place, or a foundation of compassionate and fearless acceptance, or both at the same time. John Bing is unafraid to tackle difficult topics and occasionally difficult forms, and the resulting poems are often both thought-provoking and satisfying. This is a book well worth spending time with.

Anna M. Evans, author of Under Dark Waters: Surviving the Titanic and Sisters and Courtesans

This debut collection begins in the high desert and mountains of Afghanistan and ends in the high desert and mountains of New Mexico; in between we come to know how Bing's inquiring mind and gentle soul considers a lifetime of exploring his place in the world. Like his swinging chandelier pantoum, these poems celebrate the back and forth of time and place with thoughtful language and fine attention to the big picture, the small detail, and our common existential questioning.

Rosalind Pace, an award-winning poet with poems most recently in The New Guard, upstreet, Passager, Across the Margin, Atlanta Review, Nimrod, Iowa Review