A Red Carpet for the Sun

A Red Carpet for the Sun, published in 1958, A Red Carpet for the Sun marked the beginning of Irving Layton's long association with McClelland and Stewart; it is also the only one of Layton's books to have won the Gov Gen's Award. It includes poems reprinted from 12 previous collections and contains much of the best work, not only of Layton's early years but also of his whole career: "The Birth of Tragedy," "The Cold Green Element" and "Berry Picking." It also contains a typically robust Layton foreword, in which he castigates other poets as "insufferable blabbermouths" and proclaims his own "impeccable ear for rhythm." As capable of genius as he is of utter triviality, Layton remains among the most rewarding and infuriating of Canadian poets.