He's been compared to poet William Carlos William-only behind a dogsled.

He's Ken Waldman, Alaska 's Fiddling Poet, and he's on his way to Oklahoma City to present his unique blend of Appalachian-style fiddling, poems about old-time music and dance, and stories set in his home state of Alaska .

The Metropolitan Library System, presents Waldman in a series of presentations from April 17 through April 19.

One reviewer of the poet's show wrote that it "isn't exactly what you'd think of as music, nor is it exactly what you'd think of as a poetry reading. It's rather something more uniquely personal, like hanging around with an old friend at a campfire."

Waldman has published four volumes of original poetry and has recorded five CDs, and in the five years since he first took to the road from his home in Anchorage , he's clocked around 125,000 miles traveling from Austin to Boston .

One critic in South Carolina wrote: "Picture Walt Whitman jamming with the Carter Family . . . the vividly spoken words, the lively fiddling and the rustic Alaskan details make for a highly compelling, fun-filled performance."

Ken Waldman's shows will be presented on April 17 at the Warr Acres Library at 10:30 a.m. , at the Southern Oaks Library at 1:00 p.m. , and at the Belle Isle Library at 7:00 p.m.

On April 18, he will be at the Luther Senior Center at 11:00 a.m. , and at the Ralph Ellison Library at 6:30 p.m.

On April 19, find him at the Village Library at 1:30 p.m. , and at the Choctaw Library at 6:30 p.m.

Call the Metropolitan Library System's Outreach office at 606-3833 for more information. All performances are free and open to the public.

The Metropolitan Library System of Oklahoma County includes 12 libraries and five extension libraries. Libraries include Belle Isle, Capitol Hill, Ralph Ellison, Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library and Southern Oaks in Oklahoma City, as well as Bethany, Choctaw, Del City, Edmond, Midwest City, Village and Warr Acres. Extensions are located in the communities of Harrah, Jones, Luther and Nicoma Park and include Wright Library in Oklahoma City . You can also reach us at www.metrolibrary.org.