Sorley MacLean, born in 1911 in the Outer Hebrides, is Scotland’s literary luminary. Often called “The Yeats of Scotland,” his early work is still the touchstone for writers half his age. His poems such as “The Great Famine” and “The Cave of Gold” are masterpieces of Scots-Gaelic literature. Of his many books, the most recent is a series of collected poems, including O Choille gu Bearradh (Vintage 1990). A memorial volume in honor of his 80th birthday was published in 1991. He lives on the Isle of Skye.