From the author of Layton’s bibliography and the editor of his letters comes this new biography of Canada’s most outspoken poet, Irving Layton. Beginning with Layton’s youth in Montreal, Mansbridge examines Layton’s early days with Louis Dudek and the First Statement poets. From his first book in 1945, to his outstanding success in the 1960s, Mansbridge captures the essence of Layton’s turbulent and provocative life.