Acclaimed poet and Cold Spring resident Jeffrey McDaniel will read from his new collection, The Endarkenment, on Saturday June 28 at 6:30pm at the Chapel of Our Lady Restoration. Time Out NY called The Endarkenment "excellent" and Publishers Weekly noted its "moments of great beauty, humor and stillness". The free event is part of the new Sunset Reading series that will bring authors and poets to perform at this spectacular setting on the Hudson River. A reception, open to the public, will follow.

McDaniel, who has published three previous volumes of poetry, has also had work in a number of anthologies including Best American Poetry 1994, The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry and New (American) Poetry. He has won several awards, including an NEA fellowship, and teaches creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College.

Though published widely, McDaniel is also known as an electrifying performer whose work is best enjoyed when read by the poet himself. His poems are hilarious, heartbreaking, political and personal. When McDaniel reads there is a symbiosis between the written word and his stage persona that breathes life into the poetry.

Earlier in his career, McDaniel was better known as a spoken word poet, successfully competing in national slam poetry contests and performing all over the world. His dynamic delivery coupled with an accessible, lively style of writing will surprise and captivate those who assume poetry to be a stale art.

As poet Thomas Lux says, "McDaniel possesses one of the most extraordinary senses of metaphor in which I have taken delight. Read his books, listen to him read his poems aloud: it will change you."