A.J.M. Smith was a professor at Michigan State University until 1972. Upon his retirement, the university created an award in his name, which is given away annually to honour a noteworthy book by a Canadian poet.

Arthur James Marshall Smith prize-winning poet, essayist, influential anthologist, and critic died in 1980. His last book, The Classic Shade: Selected Poems, on which Selected Writings is based, stands as his final intention in the world of literature.To this long out of print book the editor has added original material by Smith in which he defined and advanced modernism in Canadian writing. This edition also includes annotation, an extended introduction, and a bibliography.