Selected Poems and Translations: 1969-1991

From his 1979 collection Rising and Falling, the late William Matthews's poem "Foul Shots: A Clinic" uses basketball as an analogy to discuss the relationship between craft and genius, practice and performance. After a technical discussion of stance, aim, and so on, Matthews writes: "Ignore this part of the clinic / and shoot 200 foul shots / every day. Teach yourself not to be / bored by any boring one of them. / You have to love to do this / and chances are you don't." Matthews, much beloved and admired by fellow poets, had in his work an enviable blend of craft and inspiration, a jazzman's flow and an architect's precision. Selected Poems and Translations, which includes his best work culled from more than 20 years of writing, is the best starting point for readers interested in Matthews's remarkable career.