Benchmarks

Benchmarks is the second edition of Robin Cravey’s lavish and lyrical paean to his city, Austin, Texas.  It brings together the vibrant city, the beautiful trail at its heart, and the grand progression of the seasons.  From the lumpy frog on the bank to the soaring crane in the sky, the life of the city moves through these pages.

Originally published as A Year of Sundays, the book was renamed for the second edition.  As Robin wrote in the foreword, “I decided to shift the title from the weekly routine to the simple act of sitting on a bench and marking in a book.”

Of course, marking in a book is not all the poet did.  He also took a series of vivid photos that brighten every page.

This book is a new departure for Robin’s poetry.  Though he has been writing love poems to Austin for decades, this book sets it out in a new concept:  the trailbook.

If you see Robin hiking on the Barton Creek trail, he is probably deep in thought about the next trailbook.