In an autobiographical essay in the Reaper (1987), William Hathaway writes: "The most important influence (") on my life, my thinking and writing, has been alcoholism. I was drunk from age fifteen to thirty three, experiencing much difficulty and failure. The interesting paradox is that drunks yearn for spirit that is anaesthetized by alcohol but when the spirit is reinvigorated through sobriety the rational mind is freed to expand in ever-widening possibilities." What he suggests is that even in his recent books, where alcoholism has not been a major preoccupation, it has still served as an influence on his approach to life and poetry, which has changed from being passionately confessional and romantic to being more searching, intellectual, and humanistic.

The key to Hathaway's significance is the constant growth in range and energy of his voice and vision. Among his peers he stands out as fiercely independent. While he has...