An epic poem in several volumes. It tells the story, the history, of the place that the town of New Paltz, New York, occupies: the primal forces composing it, the native peoples and their conquerors, as well as historical and fabulous figures.Book 1, "The Burial" centers on an escape artist, Peter Novalis, who visits the town in the 1880s. Half conartist, half prophet, his career highlights the events that envelop the town.
