"Bright With Invisible History: A William Bauer Reader gathers a selection of poetry, short stories, essays, book reviews, and journal entries that display the love of language and story telling that made the author an esteemed professor of English literature and a valued guide to good writing at the University of New Brunswick from 1965 to 1995. Bauer’s writing displays a wry and generous affection for the puzzling and often sadly humourous behaviour of human beings. While he was a specialist on the work of 18th century English writers, his own poetry and short stories create characters and depict the foibles and epiphanies to be met with in contemporary vernacular culture. Bright with Invisible History is laced with quirky humour and mind-stopping metaphors that catch both the weirdness and pathos of human life. Bauer’s effective story telling and reflective observations are anchored in an unmistakable love for the characters and circumstances his gentle yet penetrating imagination unfurl on the pages of this book."--