July 14, 2026

John Burt, "A Moment's Surrender" (Press Americana, 2026)

Listen Later

24 minutes

It’s 1980, a decade after he dropped out of grad school, and Paul

Bishop is a lowly writing instructor at a college in Nevada. His former

best friend, Tom Corbin

is now the celebrated poet that Paul once dreamed of being, but shortly

after visiting Paul in Reno, Tom is murdered. The story focuses on

Paul’s crippling guilt, Tom’s wife’s ongoing love for her cheating

husband, and the difficult girlfriend

both Paul and Tom betrayed a decade before. After Tom’s death, all

three are forced to confront their grief and painful memories. A

Moment’s Surrender (Press Americana, 2026) is a thoughtful and literary deep dive into guilt,

marriage, and loyalty.

John Burt has taught English at Brandeis University since 1983. He

is the author of three volumes of poetry: The Way Down (1988), Work

without

Hope (1996), and Victory (2007). His scholarly books include Lincoln's

Tragic Pragmatism (2013) and Robert Penn Warren and American Idealism

(1988). He is also the editor of The Collected Poems of Robert Penn

Warren (1998), and Robert Penn Warren's Brother to Dragons: A Parallel

Text Critical Edition of the 1953 and 1979 versions (forthcoming). Since

1984 he has sung in an ensemble devoted to the polyphonic folk songs

and religious music of the Republic of Georgia, and he transcribes and

engraves music from Georgia for other singers and ensembles to use.

Learn more on his website.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

...more

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New Books in Literature

By Marshall Poe

5

88 ratings

July 14, 2026

John Burt, "A Moment's Surrender" (Press Americana, 2026)

Listen Later

24 minutes

It’s 1980, a decade after he dropped out of grad school, and Paul

Bishop is a lowly writing instructor at a college in Nevada. His former

best friend, Tom Corbin

is now the celebrated poet that Paul once dreamed of being, but shortly

after visiting Paul in Reno, Tom is murdered. The story focuses on

Paul’s crippling guilt, Tom’s wife’s ongoing love for her cheating

husband, and the difficult girlfriend

both Paul and Tom betrayed a decade before. After Tom’s death, all

three are forced to confront their grief and painful memories. A

Moment’s Surrender (Press Americana, 2026) is a thoughtful and literary deep dive into guilt,

marriage, and loyalty.

John Burt has taught English at Brandeis University since 1983. He

is the author of three volumes of poetry: The Way Down (1988), Work

without

Hope (1996), and Victory (2007). His scholarly books include Lincoln's

Tragic Pragmatism (2013) and Robert Penn Warren and American Idealism

(1988). He is also the editor of The Collected Poems of Robert Penn

Warren (1998), and Robert Penn Warren's Brother to Dragons: A Parallel

Text Critical Edition of the 1953 and 1979 versions (forthcoming). Since

1984 he has sung in an ensemble devoted to the polyphonic folk songs

and religious music of the Republic of Georgia, and he transcribes and

engraves music from Georgia for other singers and ensembles to use.

Learn more on his website.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

...more