num_pages: 311
description: Paterson is both a place—the New Jersey city in whom the person (the poet's own life) and the public (the history of the region) are combined. Originally four books (published individually between 1946 and 1951), the structure of Paterson (in Dr. Williams' words) "follows the course of the Passaic River" from above the great falls to its entrance into the sea. The unexpected Book Five, published in 1958, affirms the triumphant life of the imagination, in spite of age and death. This revised edition has been meticulously re-edited by Christopher MacGowan, who has supplied a wealth of notes and explanatory material.
language: English
title: Paterson
titlecomplete: Paterson
genres: Fiction, American, The United States Of America, Poetry, School, Literature, Classics, Epic, 20th Century, Literary Fiction
ratings_count: 3006
places: Paterson, New Jersey, New Jersey
awards: awardedAt: -631123200000
name: National Book Award
category: Poetry
publisher: New Directions