THE RITES OF STONE presents the award-winning poet's perspective on the archaeological sites of the Andes and Rapa Nui that he has visited. A prose introduction places these trajectories in perspective, giving incisive comments on the temples, statuary, fortresses, towers, cities and other structures erected by the pre-Hispanic peoples of Peru and Bolivia. The Andean poems are followed by those dealing with the massive Moai of Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island.

Prominent people I've met over my career are featured in anecdotes, photos and letters that reflect our encounters. Among these individuals are famed artists (Dali, Leonora Carrington), writers (Barth, Borges, Jorge Amado, Mario Vargas Llosa), musicians (Segovia), poets (Dylan Thomas, Robert Frost, Amiri Baraka, Gwendolyn Brooks, Denise Levertov), sports figures (Ron Delany), critics (William Empson, Sir Walter Starkie), religious (Mother Teresa), among many others."