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Title: Mature Wantling--Wantling as teacher--a far too short career
Review: With Seven on Style, William Wantling, the bad boy of the Beat periphery, finally gains control of his work--and seemingly his life. The book is couched, loosely, as a college English syllabus (Not unlike Lew Welch's hilarious and luminous Courses). Written in the last year of his life, and published just after his death, Style is a witty, unsparing look at teaching, poetry, writers (Style 3 features a wonderful insight into the curious relationship between William Wantling and Charles Bukowski--complete with an actual letter fo Bukowski excoriating Wantling for his failure as a poet since becoming a teacher), and the vicissitudes of the writing life. Wantling as teacher? Wonderful! Would loved to have taken a class with him. That's not possible, but this book brings it close.--Kevin Jones
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