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.