When Miller Williams read his Inaugural Poem, ''Of History and Hope,'' to a world-wide audience in January, his proverbial ''fifteen minutes of fame'' lasted far less--somewhere between three and four minutes. That was long enough to make a big impact on many. Said poet Paul Zimmer, one of the millions in his viewing audience, ''I came up out of my Lazy-Boy and cheered loudly!''Williams is an American original whose poems have been praised for both the elegance of their style and the simplicity of their language, for their wonderful humor and genuine passion. The works in his newest collection, The Ways We Touch, may be nostalgic or challenging, humorous or full of moral fortitude; always Williams speaks with the kind of insight that rises from wisdom and experience.Praise for Williams's earlier work:''Miller Williams is one of those writers whose books drag me snorkeling happily along. Happy as a pig among truffles, I hurry to the next treasure.'' -- William Stafford''Most contemporary poets might well go to him for lessons in the art of speaking plainly in disciplined lines alive with emotional energy.'' -- X. J. Kennedy
