The Poetry Blues: Essays and Interviews

The Poetry Blues: Essays and Interviews, edited by Sebastian Matthews and Stanley Plumly, collects miscellaneous pieces by the late National Book Critics Circle Award-winner William Matthews, whose last book of poems, After All, was published in 1999. (The book is Matthews's second for the Poets on Poetry series, edited by David Lehman and founded by Donald Hall.) Personal stories (Matthews's Bahamian third wedding; escapades with Richard Hugo) rub shoulders with short takes on numerous poetic issues ""[t]he power of music that poetry lacks is the ability to persuade without argument."" Many of these book reviews, interviews, anecdotes and musings on craft first appeared in magazines, mostly in the 1990s. Journal entries are included, and Matthews's own poems when referenced. (July 23)