Writing the World: Understanding William Stafford
An excellent introduction for readers coming to William Stafford for the first time and an overview of the work for the many readers already familiar with his poetry,
Writing the World offers the best single guide to one of the most respected and celebrated poets of our time.
Judith Kitchen's comprehensive study follows Stafford's major publications, from his first books to the later works, including the posthumous collection,
The Way It Is: New and Selected Poems. All of Stafford's best-known books come under discussion, including
Down in My Heart, a prose account of his experiences as a conscientious objector;
West of Your City, his first collection of poems, published when he was forty-six; and
Traveling Through the Dark, which received a National Book Award.
From this careful consideration of William Stafford's life work emerges an understanding of the poet's unique vision of the world and his sense of moral and spiritual responsibility. Kitchen shows the intimate relationship between Stafford's way of writing and his way of living, drawing on specific poems to illustrate his pacifism, his poetic techniques, and his daily writing practices--his way of "being receptive" to the creative act. She also examines his influential essays on the teaching of writing.
About
the Author
Judith Kitchen is a noted teacher, essayist, and publisher. She is the poetry reviewer for
The Georgia Review and the author of several books, including
Only the Dance: Essays on Time and Memory. She lives in Brockport, New York.
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