Poems, essays, travelogues, and fiction by major British and American authors portray the colorful life, landscape, and economic function of the Erie Canal. The 16 contributions range from a popular song "The Raging Canal," to an excerpt from Melville's "Moby-Dick," combine to form a celebration and social observation of the men and women who worked the waters of the canal from its heyday to its present decline into disuse. Hecht teaches writing at Ithaca College and is the author of Lunch at the Table of Opposites , a volume of poetry. Annotation (c) Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)