CONTRAPUNTAL by Christopher Kondrich | Free Verse Editions, Series Editor: Jon Thompson | "An understanding of the nature of consciousness reveals itself to be more elusive the longer one tries to approach it. The closer we get, the more vivid the confusion is. And this is the case regarding not only our handle on consciousness, but also the one we have on identity and even on reality itself, both of which depend upon consciousness-and all three of which, ultimately, prove more malleable than we might care to admit. They can be, and are often, altered by pharmaceuticals, self-scrutiny, the influence of others, one''s own force of will, illness, and even just through our constant interplay with what we call the world.