To All Gentleness (William Carlos Williams, The Doctor Poet)

Published to coincide with the 125th anniversary of William Carlos Williams' birth, Neil Baldwin’s thoughtful biography captures the rich life of the preeminent poet who was also a beloved country doctor. Baldwin writes movingly of the small-town New Jersey folk who came to see Dr. Williams in his daily professional routine. He likewise details the prolific writer’s complex nightlife within the Bohemian circles of Greenwich Village and the long and loving friendships he shared with literary superstars such as Ezra Pound and Hilda Doolittle. Based on Baldwin’s years of study cataloging the Williams archives at SUNY/Buffalo and at Yale — more than 20,000 sheets and rough drafts for poems, short stories, novels, plays, and Williams’ ambitious epic poem, "Paterson," — To All Gentleness presents a striking portrait of a man who managed to live two important lives, distinct yet driven by the same impulses of creativity and caring.