All week this week the Spinoff Review of Books revisits the great poet James K Baxter, on the occasion of a new book of letters. Today: CK Stead remembers Baxter, in this extract taken from his memoir in progress, South-East of Everywhere.

New verse from Auckland writer CK Stead.

Every day this week the Spinoff Review of Books is publishing a new poem in the build-up to the Phantom Billstickers national poetry day on Friday. Today: ‘The laureate's last...' by CK Stead

Who will laugh like a loon and who will cry bitter tears at Tuesday night's Ockham New Zealand Book Awards? CK Stead is shortlisted for the fiction prize; we usually give fiction a really wide swerve at the Spinoff, but today we present his short story 'Marriage Americano', taken from his shortlisted book, The Name on the Door is Not Mine.

New verse by Parnell writer Karl Stead.