The Changing Light at Sandover
The Changing Light at Sandover is an extensive 560-page epic poem authored by James Merrill (1926–1995), frequently characterized as a postmodern apocalyptic masterpiece. Released initially in three separate volumes from 1976 through 1980, it was later issued as a consolidated edition with an additional coda in 1982, marking a notable accomplishment in contemporary literature.
Over twenty years of transcribing ouija board messages
Merrill integrated a wealth of occult communications into his poetry, beginning with the 1950s piece "Voices from the Other World." Together with his partner David Noyes Jackson, he dedicated more than two decades to recording alleged supernatural dialogues received during séances via a ouija board.
Origins of the ouija board poetic cycle
The first installment of the ouija-inspired poetic cycle, The Book of Ephraim, was published in 1976. This sequence features poems corresponding to each letter of the alphabet from A to Z and appeared within the collection Divine Comedies (Atheneum), which was honored with the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1977.
Although Merrill initially thought his creative well from these spiritual sessions had run dry, the "spirits" urged him to persist. This impetus resulted in subsequent volumes: Mirabell: Books of Number (1978), recipient of the National Book Award for Poetry, and Scripts for the Pageant (1980). The trilogy was eventually unified and augmented with a new coda in the 1982 publication titled The Changing Light at Sandover, which garnered the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1983.
Performing as voices from beyond
During public readings, Merrill adopted the narrative personas of departed poets and acquaintances, such as W. H. Auden, and late friends Maya Deren and Maria Mitsotáki. He also professed to channel otherworldly entities, including Ephraim, a Jewish figure from the first century, and Mirabell, a spirit guide associated with the ouija board.
In 1990, Merrill and his final partner, actor Peter Hooten, transformed the poem into a staged ensemble reading at Radcliffe College's Agassiz Theatre. The event was recorded and released under the title "Voices from Sandover," featuring renowned Polish actress Elżbieta Czyżewska portraying Maria Mitsotáki, a Greek socialite.
Author Alison Lurie, who maintained a long-term friendship with Merrill and Jackson, offered insights into the poem’s creative process in her memoir Familiar Spirits (2001).