Squaring the Circle (Revised and Expanded Edition)

Squaring the Circle (Revised and Expanded Edition)

by Ryan Mills

In the alchemical tradition of Medieval and Renaissance Europe, “squaring the circle” referred to the final stage of the alchemical process—the creation of the Philosopher’s Stone, a substance that could supposedly transmute lead into gold. But alchemy was more than just a pseudo-scientific pursuit aimed at amassing material wealth. In fact, according to the Swiss psychologist C. G. Jung, the alchemical process with its various stages is best understood as a symbolic representation of what Jung termed individuation, or the journey toward wholeness of personality that each of us is called upon to undertake.

In his generous collection of poetry, Squaring the Circle, Ryan Mills brings together four carefully structured texts, each of which represents a stage in his own journey toward wholeness. Drawing upon influences that range from Jungian psychology to Buddhism, from ancient mythology to modern detective fiction, Mills wrestles with himself and with the stories, traditions and systems of thought that have inspired him.

This revised and expanded edition of Squaring the Circle contains over twenty new poems, as well as revised versions of a number of poems.

About the Author

Ryan Mills was born in Jasper, Indiana, in 1979. As an undergraduate at Indiana University, he designed his own major, which combined creative writing with the study of religion and mythology. He graduated summa cum laude in 2002. The first edition of Squaring the Circle was published by RoseDog Books in 2011.

Ryan lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with his wife Courtney and his son Soren.