Michael Fitzgerald
The Poet Laureate of the Shenandoah Valley

Michael is a Pulitzer-nominated poet who over the past decade has recorded several volumes with a variety of musical settings. Among the musicians featured on these recordings are guitarists Seth Austen, Michael DeLalla and John Albertson; multiple reed virtuoso Marvin "Doc" Holladay, percussionist N. Scott Robinson, and many others.

Michael is the author of numerous books of poetry, nonfiction and children's literature. He has studied at Wesleyan University, Earlham College and the Iowa Writers' Workshop. In addition to the Pulitzer, he has been nominated for the National Book Award, received an Ackerman Nicholson Fellowship and Garrabrandt Poetry Medallion. Michael has worked on projects for the Association for Bahai Studies, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Defenders of Wildlife, the Folger Shakespeare Library, the National Federation for the Blind, National Public Radio, the Smithsonian Institution, the US Public Interest Research Group and others.

"From the bo trees of India
       to the cypress of Israel,
to a bagel at the interfaith
       conference here in Virginia,

I lean into the necessary dreams
       of peace, despite the dark
a sand painting from the Navajo,
       a chat with a Sufi,
as a Buddhist monk drifts by."

(Folio 1, from Michael's book Anthems for Earth)

"a gifted and accomplished poet."
- Thomas Lux, Sarah Lawrence College

"Michael Fitzgerald is a truly great artist"
- Rudolph Serkin, concert pianist

A compelling collection of readings, compiled by Stephen Scholl, gathered from all of the world's great religions and elegantly delivered with the accompanying guitar of Michael DeLalla. The readings are woven into a framework of eight movements: The Promise of Peace, The Evil of War, Peace: The Inner Struggle, Waging Peace, Peace from Justice, Womanly Times, Swords Into Plowshares, and One People, One World. Now more than ever, a wonderful, contemplative and comforting work dedicated to the hope of peace.