“Th Metzger digs deep. Th Metzger is a miner, clawing away in the black bellies of various histories. Say, electric chairs or heroin. Tunneling into lives, past and present, assorted and sordid. Say, priests or shamans. And, always, his own history. Because nothing is out of reach or too sacred to be unearthed by Metzger’s toothy mind-shovel. In Strong Songs of the Dead his Word-scuttles are filled with sound. Many would call it music. Some wouldn’t. There is very little middle ground in the world of shape note singing. Metzger weaves the long past and the present with a gem-studded, coal choked narrative that tells the reader everything they need to know about who sang, who sung, who sings Sacred Harp, and what happens when they do, and why. And then, of course, you’ll want to sing too.”
–Steven Sherrill, author of The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break.
---
Find out more about Strong Songs of the Dead