Are There Not a Thousand Forms of Sorrow? for string quintet (2 violins, viola and 2 cellos) was commissioned to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center by a consortium of the following chamber music organizations: The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Chamber Music Northwest, Salt Bay Chamberfest, Off the Hook Arts Festival. The title of this quintet is taken from Ethan Canin's novel A Doubter's Almanac: Are there not a thousand forms of sorrow? Is the sorrow of death the same as the sorrow of knowing the pain in a child's future?