A massive glowing tree towers over a river beside a palace, its branches merging with the starry sky. Across the horizon, a luminous spiral galaxy casts golden light on the forested valley.

What is Tome of Stars?

Tome of Stars is equal parts art, therapy journal, and exorcism, both a celebration and an elegy. As a single narrative arc tracing the birth and death of a relationship, the poems follow a timeline of passion, longing, and prolonged grief.

The collection is structured into six sections called “Items,” named after the portions of a margam, the structure of a Bharatanatyam classical Indian dance recital, for my beloved was such an artist. Cosmic imagery saturates the collection—a tribute to my beloved, whose essence and very name transformed the heavens into symbols of devotion, wonder, and longing.

This collection is my flawed attempt to chart a universe of feeling and experience. I cherish the hope that it might resonate with those who have loved and lost on a transformational scale.

All poetry is by Stargazer. The verse and accompanying synthetic art/music are public domain, CC0, with no restrictions on use. Nothing is monetized.

In which formats is Tome of Stars available?

Print edition (regular and a heavily illustrated edition)
eBook / EPUB version (regular and fixed-layout with storybook illustrations)
Audiobook / narrated version (and combination illustrated eBook with audio)
Narrated video version (poetry + visuals that lives on YouTube)
Music (each section of the book is an separate album with a wide range of musical styles (e.g., choral, folk, rock, combinations of styles)

Each format offers a different way to experience the work.

How can I purchase or download it?

You can order print editions through Lulu (only through direct link on the Books page, as putting a book on the Lulu store makes it much more expensive, especially the illustrated edition)
The digital / eBook (EPUB) versions are available to download directly on this website
Audiobook and narrated video versions are likewise available for download or through linked sources on the site (e.g., video hosted on YouTube)
Internet Archive: Finally, you can download everything, even the PDFs used to print the book and music/video files, on Internet Archive

Who is the author / creator?

The work is by Stargazer (a pen name to protect others who are key elements in the story). It combines personal, therapeutic, and artistic impulses into a poetic narrative. The author is a writer of published fiction and a practicing scientist.

Is there a release schedule / new content expected?

At this point, Tome of Stars is a one-off (if a rather large one). It is a unified, single project, born from grief, love, and a desperate need not to bury the story with a life forgotten (although it will almost certainly end up so). Lastly, Stargazer cannot help but dream that the Stargirl would someday experience the project, and to quote one of the poems, that she “might understand my love was pure.” Therefore, he does not expect anything more to come of it. He has spoken his heart in his brief moments of time. So it goes.

Who is this work for?

Firstly, for those who have loved and lost on a transformational scale. The eternally grieving. Anyone drawn to poetry, music, mythic and symbolic journeys, and the blending of art and emotional exploration. It is not a conventional narrative, but an emotional, lyrical experience. And of course, like everything of feeling from the author, ultimately, it is for the beloved. As the poem Muse concludes: “The timeless end rhymes sweetly true/Before time turned, it’s always been for you.”

Permissions & usage

Can I quote or share excerpts? Can I translate or adapt the work? Everything is public domain (CC0). You can do whatever you want with it. Referencing the original work (Tome of Stars) and the author, Stargazer, is pretty awesome and propagates good vibes through the universe.

How can I contact you?

There is a Contacts page with a web-based form to fill in what you want to communicate.

In addition to providing links to download epubs and audiobooks on this site (and to purchase at cost print books), I have uploaded nearly all the files involved in this project to the Internet Archive:

Book/Audiobook related: https://archive.org/details/tome-of-stars