The last ten years has unequivocally demonstrated that Clive James is far more than a mere talking head. Once known as one of the English-speaking world s most popular television personalities, James has gone on to be a celebrated essayist, translator, and poet. The appearance of Poetry Notebook, which distills his passion for poetry into one indispensable volume, further adds to our appreciation of a world-class intellectual and Renaissance man. Poetry Notebook examines the poems and legacies of a panorama of twentieth-century poets, from Hart Crane to Ezra Pound (a mad old amateur fascist with a panascopic grab bag ), from Ted Hughes to Anne Sexton. Whether demanding that poetry be heard beyond the world of poetry or opining on his five favorite poetry books (Yeats, Frost, Auden, Wilbur, and Larkin), James captures the whole truth of life s transience in this unforgettably eloquent book on how to read and appreciate modern poetry."