A fine introductory book on Anton Chekhov's stories and plays is Donald Rayfield's Understanding Chekhov: A Critical Study of Chekhov's Prose and Drama, published in 1999 by theUniversity of Wisconsin Press. Rayfield's study is geared towards the beginning Chekhov student. He provides close readings of stories and plays, and draws connections between them and European literature of the time.

For an understanding of what Simpson thinks should be important to poetry readers, read his 1967 textbook, An Introduction to Poetry, published bySt. Martin's Press.

Ronald Moran's 1972 study of Simpson, Louis Simpson, published by Twayne, offers a fine introduction to Simpson's early work. Moran's study, however, ends with Simpson's 1971 collection Adventures of the Letter I, published by Oxford University Press.

Simpson's poems are included in the 1986 anthology of formal verse, Strong Measures, edited by David Jauss, and published by Harper and Row.

Simpson's...