The debut collection by the legendary William Matthews, in its entirety for the first time since 1970. Careening between the bleak and utterly buoyant, the poems in Ruining the New Road offer a startling open-mouthed, and openhearted honesty that is rare and exhilarating. Fierce in its recognition of both beauty and the painful, yet tender truths of the universe, these poems remind us that Matthews is a genuine master at laying bare the complicated spectrum of the human condition. Here is a book where, as Matthews says, "Everywhere life is ludicrous/ but absolutely crucial." - Ada Limon"