'David Solway opts for a bawdier approach to the lyric in The Lover's Progress. He models his lyric sequence on William Hogarth's famous series of paintings, The Rake's Progress (1733-35), and transports the rakish protagonist at the centre of Hogarth's narrative into the twenty-first century. Solway makes the rake a ''cruiser'' of bars, women, and philosophies, as well as a dabbler in poetry. Perpetually in motion, the lover travels from Canada to Greece and revisits many of Solway's favourite haunts.'

David Solway is the author of many books of poetry including the award-winning Modern Marriage, Bedrock, Chess Pieces, Saracen Island: The Poetry of Andreas Karavis and The Lover's Progress: Poems after William Hogarth, the latter illustrated by Marion Wagschal and adapted for the stage by Curtain Razors. His work has been anthologized in The Penguin Book of Canadian Verse, McClelland and Stewart's New Canadian Poetry, Border Lines: Contemporary Poetry in English from Copp Clark, and The Bedford Introduction to Literature from St. Martin's Press. Among his publications, Education Lost won the QSPELL Prize for Nonfiction and Random Walks was a finalist for Le Grand Prix du Livre de Montr?al, while his poetry collection Franklin's Passage won the prize. Solway publishes regularly in such journals as The Atlantic Monthly and Canadian Notes & Queries, and is an occasional contributor to the book pages of the National Post. His more specialized writings have appeared in the International Journal of Applied Semiotics, Policy Options: Institute on Research in Public Policy, and the Journal of Modern Greek Studies. Solway recently completed a new collection of poems entitled The Properties of Things and in the past three years has published two political books, The Big Lie: On Terror, Antisemitism and Identity and Hear, O Israel!. David Solway writes regularly for FrontPage Magazine and Pajamas Media, and is a contributing editor for The Metropolitan and Arts & Opinion.

David Solway's profile page

'Formal poetry [that] ... is as wise, as tirelessly effortless, as lyrically exquisite, and as moving as Solway's.'

Books in Canada

'... poems, which are lovely, tender, and spun with the hands of a master.'

Books in Canada

'David Solway opts for a bawdier approach to the lyric in The Lover's Progress. He models his lyric sequence on William Hogarth's famous series of paintings, The Rake's Progress (1733-35), and transports the rakish protagonist at the centre of Hogarth's narrative into the twenty-first century. Solway makes the rake a ''cruiser'' of bars, women, and philosophies, as well as a dabbler in poetry. Perpetually in motion, the lover travels from Canada to Greece and revisits many of Solway's favourite haunts. The collection begins with a fascinating essay in which Solway explains the rationale for this globe-trotting, as well as suggesting continuities between the style of the poetry and paintings.'

Canadian Literature

'Solway's touch is intricate, humorous, restless, conciliatory and coherent. And he works an artful magic.'

Montreal Gazette