Don McKay: Essays on His Works.

Bert Almon is a professor of English at the University of Alberta and
author of Calling Texas.

A substantial collection of essays on Don McKay, one of Canada’s finest living poets, is overdue. Most of the essays are intelligent views of his books and overviews of his methods. Aside from two minor pieces by Don Coles and Christopher Levenson, these are works that readers of McKay will learn from. Several poets (Susan Elmslie, Sue Sinclair, Brian Bartlett, Robert Bringhurst, John Oughton, and Ross Leckie) are included, and they bring their own special insights into a fellow writer. The high points are the works by Brian Bartlett, Stan Dragland, and Kevin Bushell. An interview with McKay by poet Ken Babstock will be essential reading for anyone with a serious interest in McKay. The book ends with a good bibliography. This is a slender volume but every rift is packed with ore.