The Power of the Telling

In The Power of the Telling, his shining collection, David Hathwell gathers his previously published poems together with new poems, enhancing the luster of the whole with illuminating commentaries.

Hathwell’s finely crafted poems have won wide acclaim. Richard Wilbur, twice winner of the Pulitzer Prize, praised the leading poem in Muses as “concretely evocative, with a clear flow of argument, and a seriousness that allows itself to be locally playful.” California poet laureate Dana Gioia commended Hathwell for “writing with quiet intensity about significant things.” These qualities distinguish Hathwell’s poems overall. 

Hathwell has published two prior collections, Muses and Between Dog and Wolf

Praise for Muses

The poems in Muses are taut, measured, and shapely, like svelte dancers. —James Fowler, editor of Slant

Muses is held together by music, thematically and formally. Hathwell’s incremental modulations allow him to recreate subtle states of perception and mood with a musical precision. —Rebecca Starks, author of Time Is Always Now

I hugely enjoyed Muses. —Edmund White, author of The Unpunished Vice

Praise for Between Dog and Wolf

Exploring transitions and mortality, Hathwell deftly maneuvers past “moans and mewlings” to reveal truths about the human experience. —Genanne Walsh, author of Twister

An absolute delight to read. —Rob Griffith, author of The Devil in the Milk

Sharp and unsettling, the poems offer a sense of something just not right. An important book for times like these. —Erica Dawson, author of The Small Blades Hurt