Publication Date: October 15, 2026
Paperback, 84 pages
ISBN: 978-1-966677-61-1
Richard St. John’s latest collection That Nothing be Lost takes the reader on an autobiographical journey seen through his deep and sometimes tragic friendships. These poems coupled with the author's childhood memories combine to make this work poignant and heartfelt. Included among the poems is a short story reminding us of the importance of community.
That Nothing Be Lost is a book of sacred witness: to our wounded companions, our personal histories and the shared challenges that shape our lives. What can we hold in our hearts amidst the transience of all things? What might shed light as we bravely make our way?
Praise for Richard St. John & That Nothing Be Lost
This is an astounding piece of literary work. Each poem feels like a warm personal embrace, yet as a collection they become our collective memory. These poems’ power is matched only by the poet’s dexterity and deep humanity.
— Sony Ton-Aime, Executive Director, Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures & author of Konbit.
These exquisitely observed poems are acts of deep human sympathy that seek to both break the heart and heal it. Richard St. John engages our historical moment with the rhythms and warm humanity of writers from Christopher Smart to the Psalmist to Aeschylus, reminding us of the long tradition of human empathy.
— Kim Garcia, author of DRONE & The Brighter House
St. John’s latest collection sees recollection and witness as poetic practices, as “a sacrament for us.” That Nothing Be Lost aims to do what its title commands—to marry memory of daily existence with the eternal. These poems confront the difficulty of this practice in the face of loss in its many forms. Yet even for the child who lives a single day, life is something cherished: “In the beginning: darkness, / heartbeat, blood. And it was good.”
— Jake Grefenstette, President, International Poetry Forum & Editor, Carnegie Mellon University Press Poetry Series
About the Author
Richard St. John is also the author of Book of Entangled Souls (Broadstone Books, 2022), Each Perfected Name (Truman State University Press, 2015), The Pure Inconstancy of race (published in 2005 by Truman State University Press, as first runner-up for the T. S. Eliot Prize for Poetry) and Shrine (a long poem released as a chapbook in 2011). He enjoys connecting with readers and listeners in university and literary settings and, especially, with people who might be newer to poetry in congregations, online book groups, community spaces and welcoming homes.
St. John received degrees in English from Princeton University (B.A.) and the University of Virginia (M.A.) In 2002, he completed a mid-career Loeb Fellowship for independent study at Harvard University. A portion of his literary materials have been archived in the University of Pittsburgh library system. He has worked professionally in the areas of community development, nonprofit management, and reflective conversation. He lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Kate. For more information, please visit his website: http://richardstjohnpoet.com
Publication Date: October 15, 2026
Paperback, 84 pages
ISBN: 978-1-966677-61-1
Richard St. John’s latest collection That Nothing be Lost takes the reader on an autobiographical journey seen through his deep and sometimes tragic friendships. These poems coupled with the author's childhood memories combine to make this work poignant and heartfelt. Included among the poems is a short story reminding us of the importance of community.
That Nothing Be Lost is a book of sacred witness: to our wounded companions, our personal histories and the shared challenges that shape our lives. What can we hold in our hearts amidst the transience of all things? What might shed light as we bravely make our way?
Praise for Richard St. John & That Nothing Be Lost
This is an astounding piece of literary work. Each poem feels like a warm personal embrace, yet as a collection they become our collective memory. These poems’ power is matched only by the poet’s dexterity and deep humanity.
— Sony Ton-Aime, Executive Director, Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures & author of Konbit.
These exquisitely observed poems are acts of deep human sympathy that seek to both break the heart and heal it. Richard St. John engages our historical moment with the rhythms and warm humanity of writers from Christopher Smart to the Psalmist to Aeschylus, reminding us of the long tradition of human empathy.
— Kim Garcia, author of DRONE & The Brighter House
St. John’s latest collection sees recollection and witness as poetic practices, as “a sacrament for us.” That Nothing Be Lost aims to do what its title commands—to marry memory of daily existence with the eternal. These poems confront the difficulty of this practice in the face of loss in its many forms. Yet even for the child who lives a single day, life is something cherished: “In the beginning: darkness, / heartbeat, blood. And it was good.”
— Jake Grefenstette, President, International Poetry Forum & Editor, Carnegie Mellon University Press Poetry Series
About the Author
Richard St. John is also the author of Book of Entangled Souls (Broadstone Books, 2022), Each Perfected Name (Truman State University Press, 2015), The Pure Inconstancy of race (published in 2005 by Truman State University Press, as first runner-up for the T. S. Eliot Prize for Poetry) and Shrine (a long poem released as a chapbook in 2011). He enjoys connecting with readers and listeners in university and literary settings and, especially, with people who might be newer to poetry in congregations, online book groups, community spaces and welcoming homes.
St. John received degrees in English from Princeton University (B.A.) and the University of Virginia (M.A.) In 2002, he completed a mid-career Loeb Fellowship for independent study at Harvard University. A portion of his literary materials have been archived in the University of Pittsburgh library system. He has worked professionally in the areas of community development, nonprofit management, and reflective conversation. He lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Kate. For more information, please visit his website: http://richardstjohnpoet.com
