Irving Layton Books

Irving Layton's life and literary journey are explored through his candid reflections in "Waiting for the Messiah." Known for his flamboyant style and controversial persona, Layton delves into the discordant impulses that influenced his provocative poetry. First published in 1985, this work reveals the complexities of his character and the experiences that garnered him both acclaim and criticism, offering insight into the mind of a revered literary figure.

A Wild Peculiar Joy is Irving Layton’s poetic testament. Hailed as the great lyric poet, Irving Layton has come to be known as one of Canada’s most powerful, groundbreaking voices, an important and influential writer whose distinguished career spanned almost forty-five years. By turns passionate and grave, joyous and apocalyptic, his beautifully crafted poems are illuminated by a strong social and political conscience, and an intensely humanistic view of the world. This is poetry that is timeless and universal. Drawn from his entire body of work, and now reissued in this handsomely redesigned volume, this edition includes a new introduction by Sam Solecki, and selected short excerpts from Irving Layton’s writings on the craft of poetry. A Wild Peculiar Joy once again makes available to readers the poetry of Irving Layton and stands as the author’s definitive selected.