Even in his own lifetime, Raymond Carver was considered one of the greatest short story writers of the 20th century, but he was always more than that. In 1983—the same year Carver published his finest story collection, Cathedral—he produced this book of four essays, including a moving memoir of his father's working life in the saw-mills of the Pacific Northwest, a tribute to his mentor John Gardner, and the title essay about the influences on his writing life. A gifted poet, Carver is also represented here by 50 poems that span his career.