These are the poems of an honest seeker. In an age when so many poets hide behind the wall of irony, I'm grateful for a young poet who is willing to stand out in the open and risk a sincere approach to the mysteries of the world. Robert Pfeiffer is a strong and fresh voice in American poetry. This is a fine collection, a truthful witness to the possibility of meaning in the world. David Bottoms In this post-post modern world where cynicism and irony are the predominant forces at work in much of the poetry produced and lauded, Robert Pfeiffer's debut collection Bend, Break emerges like a wave of crisp cool air blown in through the swamp. Part hard-edged grit, part careful observation, part wry acceptance, the poems in this book are both rooted in tradition and fresh in their vision. Never sentimental, the work in this wonderful collection seems to teeter almost effortlessly between despair and joy. Beth Gylys