Ryan Vine has localized many of the distances our lives traverse; his words lead us back to an unfaced reality. To Ward, the poet’s persona hero, these to-ward directions bear both in- and out-ward, confronting himself with himself. Readers will find their ways in these arrivals.
—Bill Knott
These poems take us to a world unlike any other: a world of bonfires, kazoos, shortwave, and a tragi-comic character named Ward. Ryan Vine’s work is lively, tough and wise, and Distant Engines marks the debut of an important poet.
—John Skoyles
Ryan Vine’s poems are precisely expressed and precisely envisioned. His ear and eye are first rate. In addition, the poems are a pleasure to read, often a rarity these days. Distant Engines is a wonderful beginning. —Stephen Dobyns