Observations from the Well
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Observations from the Well explores what it means to remain attentive in a world shaped by violence, grief, displacement, memory, and love. Moving from public tragedies to intimate moments of family, friendship, aging, and everyday kindness, these poems ask how we bear witness to one another without turning away. The collection examines the lives we inherit, the losses we carry, and the quiet acts of care that allow us to endure. At its heart, Observations from the Well is a meditation on compassion, resilience, and the sustaining power of paying close attention.
Rick Christiansen
Rick Christiansen is the author of Bone Fragments (2024) and Not a Hero (2025). Spartan Press. His work has received two 2025 Pushcart Prize nominations. He was a finalist for the RHINO Poetry 2025 Founders Prize and is featured in their 50thAnniversary Edition. He is a jury selected finalist for the 2025 Rhysling Award and will be published in their 2026 Annual. His poems can be found in North American Review, RHINO, Thimble, Pennsylvania English, Anti-Heroin Chic, MacQueen's Quinterly, Sheila-Na-Gig along with many other journals and publications. His poems explore survival, memory, class, and the residue of violence. He lives in Kansas City with his wife Kim and his dog B.
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