Charles Olson's Reading: A Biography

Rating:
Summary: Narrative+scholarship=reference
Review: Professor Maud's book provides welcome relief from sensationalist biography. By tracing Olson's reading, and thus establishing a chronological framework for the poet's thinking, Maud does not confuse with editorial and/or emotional bias. For readers unable to make the trip to the various archives of Olson's work around the US, this book is a valuable reference. The extensive notes provide a place for the interested scholar to get lost in for hours. Extensive and intensive if a little dry, this book is worth the read as a companion to Olson's work.