Michael R. Collings

The Nephiad: an Epic Poem in Xii Books Michael R. Collings

Constructed around a key episode in the Book of Mormon, The Nephiad blends the rigidly-defined structures and grand style of Renaissance epic with modern-day scripture to re-create a genre that is at once uplifting and compelling. From readers of The Nephiad: "The epic is an ancient literary genre, but many Mormon writings have attempted to write within this genre because of its grand scope and lofty intentions for communicating vital components of a given culture or belief system. Indeed, the Book of Mormon itself has been called an epic, and it shares many components of the epic genre. Most notably, many Mormon poets have attempted to compose epics, including Orson F. Whitney, Paul Cracroft, and Michael Collings.... The Nephiad is very enjoyable to this fan of Milton, blank verse, and LDS efforts to fulfill Orson Whitney's prophecy for Miltons and Shakespeares of our own.... The way [Collings blends] the standard literary canon with our sacred canon and our cultural history is a unique contribution to Mormon literature." - Gideon Burton, Professor of English, Brigham Young University