Non-Fiction: November 2008 Archives

William Carlos Williams - a poet who also worked as a family doctor - has long been a hero of mine so, while some people may question what audience a picture book biography of a twentieth century American poet is aimed at, I'm predisposed to look kindly on it. The illustrations, strong and modern with collage effects, together with the artfully simple condensing of Williams' life to its bare essentials, produce a strong evocation of the life of a working man scribbling lines for poems on yellow prescription pads when he can, corresponding by letter with other poets and writers in the evening, in those pre-internet days.
Williams' 'The Red Wheelbarrow' and 'This Is Just To Say' have been much anthologised in children's collections, so a copy of this book should be in every primary school library.