“Willis Barnstone has been appointed a special angel to bring ‘the other’ to our attention, to show how it is done. He illuminates the spirit for us and he clarifies the unclarifiable. I think he does this by beating his wings.”—Gerald Stern
“Willis Barnstone’s versions of Rilke’s Sonnets to Orpheus are daring, passionate, and beautiful. The choices he makes between beauty, song, and literalness serve a cause Rilke would approve. Of all translations of the sonnets, Barnstone’s songs tame the animals while serving Rilke’s great art.”—Stanley Moss, author of A History of Color
