"Psalms for the Sirens" is the tenth canto of Kit Ludlow's art-poetry epic, Orpheus. Years have passed since Orpheus journeyed into Hades to retrieve his wife. That adventure failed due to his cursed look-back. After Bedlam, the famed poet wandered into Sheol, a forgotten underworld. He had no narrative; only lyrical verse to make sense of the world. In the fifth canto, Orpheus awakens from his daze to begin the reclamation of his wife, poetry. Orpheus, in the sixth canto, realizes he must sacrifice himself to Dionysus. In the seventh, "Dance for Danace", Orpheus discovers that he is "no one". As no one, he calls for Charon to ferry him across the Styx and to the gates of Hades. There he tells Charon to pity the suicides. In the eighth canto, Orpheus is confronted by the sorrows of the shallow. There he must decide to continue his journey or rest. In the ninth canto, his vanity is tested. After being tested, Orpheus as "no one" must confront desire. Desire comes in the form of the Sirens. Every line of the poem is illustrated by the poet's artwork. All artwork is original to the canto. IG: kitludlow.

The psalms are among the most sublime poetry in the world, offering us inexhaustible wells of meaning. Herbert O'Driscoll adeptly dips into their sacred depths and draws up sparkling insights to refresh the soul. Our contemporary spirits can feel at home in the world of psalms. All of human experience is there - joy and sadness, love and anger, trust and despair. The gift of the psalms lies in their challenge to us; they invite us into dialogue with them and with the God who inspired them. The psalms guide us to express our deepest feelings to God, and their response floods the soul with assurance. Justice is done. Healing takes place. Grace is given. Praise for God with Us: The Companionship of Jesus in the Challenges of Life: "God with Us, approached in a spirit of openness and honesty, can be transforming. Its thought is deep but its language is accessible - written with sensitivity and spirituality." -Montreal Anglican

Judith Perraino investigates how music has been used throughout history to call into question norms of gender and sexuality. Beginning with an examination of the mythology surrounding the Sirens, she goes on to consider musical creatures, gods, humans and music-addled listeners.

"Don't you know my psalms are sirens? I am crying out for help. And at the rate that I am going, I will see you next in hell." So proclaims the title poem of this sophomore collection from Dakota Vaughn. Hometown charm mixed with cynical wit make the salty-sweet pages of Siren Psalms worth tasting.

Brackeen reveals wisdom and knowledge on how to be an intercessor and the important keys needed to be an effective vessel for God as a mighty intercessor. (Christian)

This unique volume on the Psalms is the final Hebrew Bible installment of the Texts@Contexts series. Each contribution provides a contextual reflection on a Psalm as chosen by the contributor. These contributions take account of the contributor's own personal context or the contexts of those around them, providing readings that are varied in geographical and linguistic scope, that reflect on pressing themes such as immigration, diversity, race, marginalized voices (such as those of adults with learning disabilities) and postcolonialism. Scholars also reflect on their own contexts of research and education. Taken together the contributions to this volume provide a sort of contextual commentary on the Psalms, gathering a wide range of voices and reflecting a diverse range of cultural afterlives of the Psalms.