Irving Layton: An Introduction

A beautifully crafted classroom adaptation, this is a candid portrait of Canadian poet Irving Layton--writer, teacher, and private human being. Filmed in Montréal and Greece, the film conveys the close interweaving of Layton's life and art. The camera captures him struggling with a poem in progress, and talking about the difficulty of writing, the role of the poet, and what makes Canadian poetry unique. Through fine readings of several poems, he illustrates how he shapes the themes that have compelled him throughout his life.