THE People & the Stones: SELECTED POEMS

Readings made by the poet between 1942 and 1955 at the Library of Congress, the 92nd St. Y and elsewhere are presented. Though of varying sound quality, the selection is eclectic, containing staples like "Tract" and excerpts from Paterson, as well as lesser-known poems like "Eyeglasses." The poems are arranged in order of composition and reveal a voice that, at its best, is clipped and precise, yet full of tenderness. At his worst, Williams can sound thin, nasal and unintentionally comic. If the listener can overlook the static in this old recording and appreciate the charm and immediacy of a dog's bark punctuating a line of verse, these readings by an American original are a treasure. J.F.P. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN 92]