Richard Hugo, whom Carolyn Kizer called one of the most passionate, energetic and honest poets living, was that rare phenomenon a distinguished poet who was also an inspiring teacher. The Triggering Town is Hugo s classic collection of lectures, essays, and reflections, all directed toward helping with that silly, absurd, maddening, futile, enormously rewarding activity: writing poems. From pieces that include Writing off the Subject and How Poets Make a Living, anyone, from the beginning poet to the mature writer to the lover of literature, will benefit greatly from Hugo s playful and profound insights into the mysteries of literary creation."