Correspondence, Earle Birney
Pages
-
-
MSS_6_1_1_A_13_121
-
pieces out in journals beforehand. But it's years since I sent anjrthing out to the U.S. & I dont know where to begin,particularly as Moorepark, my N.Y. agent, wont be bothered handling poetry,or my poetry anyway. Have you any suggestions,Ralph? I have about 30 pieces unpublished in the U.S.,& quite a few of them unpublished anywhere yet--things I have recently written on themes connected with Asia,where I knocked around last summer— Japan,Bangkok,India,Syria,etc. Alan Brilliant has written asking for * i_imtpluxwt one poem for some guest number he's editing,but otherwise I have no contacts. The prestige mags in the U.S. never would publish me anyway,excent for one poem in Harpers.I'm very glad to hear you have a new book of poems coming out.Hope it will appear over here too. If there's anything I can do while I'm in London about contacting publishers I'll be glad to. Abelard-Schuman have brought out Turvey over here & have sold it to Four Square pocketbooks for 1960;this has pleased them enough to decide to bring out my other novel, Down the Long Table, in Britain this summer;but the N.Y. office of Ab-Sch. stilT wont touch it with a bargepole,though they took Turvey.Incidentally have you seen any U.S. reviews of Turvey? I get only a vast silence on the matter. Of course, the book is ten years too late now.Do keep in touch. Good to hear, a $■ fvS*'■ First fold here -*-<oO ►—< 2 > ►< £ £ t"tn Z o r-Oc £So 73O JJocntn2H>Ztnr1 tn H HH 3D ono stn Oon £H 5£ ZoHCo Otn oZH>z>zw309f->9)pa.t-*op»opON►d4H-PO0>>HO'CD4c+XIo&wtdH*P<PIO]f=3}inP.s:Drv.feiHikn■His:itinftHDobt+ftf<+ruoto3)£&QCGO<+9)>-*>cn•o
-
-
MSS_6_1_1_A_13_122
-
_ ^ t mm* T • ?P SttT—twe*i b mortt evarf oi TW irfglw .«. <Td - wS^Tork ^2 li-Y.' -• ■ "ew- *orJ£ "*x*. . - - J ' April If,IX afcroY we'i ,em®vA rfdvxiS ££.£) rto^rf r-Tr eriT tolMbP BhpI*^ £ ai t«xiixrr lo ’ttrol to coirfc* rre^Led, OvT : » ar(.......EXe^rtoU ed’O' fitfiW 8B90f)U« '•' f'"©*XG)iX9 1I was delighted to have your letter and news of you. First, many thanks for your thought of Betty and myself contained in your card.-Unfortunately, this has never reached its destination- X suppose the wedding artnouneement sent it * somewhere into .Pennsylvania where it now lies. Betty is very sorry to have missed possessing a card from the British Museum from you. The thought la much appreciated. *1'sfeoY weK rfaeA few more reviews of the PENGUIN have filtered Infrom England. But aside from the TLS, nothing at all of any :".ie : substance. Despite the hangover of colonial thinking in England,■ . I really am surprised^- and disappointed— that journals likethe 3iew 8 & Mffterier, LOwfoft "Mags^ney^Blcouriter,; etc., did not take the opportunity provided to assess OamKlifcl poetry. At least^ reviews from them have' not reached jne. It would have been , ix instructive to have such immediate viewpoints. Levine writes me the book is to have an - overseas BBC review! No domestic review.I assume their time is too valuable to be concerned with a 100 years of Canadian poetry. • However, the thin& that counts is readeris— and perhaps- the book is doing well abroad (X haven11 yet heard); certainly the other two did well.As for Canada, the reviews have been laudatory. Canadians havo apparently* relished my unabashed Introduction. .Not finding it ’•aggressive" but soul -warning- that an enthusiasm is at last 10 expressed without accompanying Spology and explanation. The. literaiy quarters have been delighted* I myself could not find the book for sale In any Montreal bookstore but the Classic!So it goes. As fer the States, Steimiel French Morse was loftily patronizing in the N.Y. Times. The quarterlies have not had time to report.All this— personally- somewhat of an anti-climax to my expectation?. But the book is done and I wont do another and the letters from you, Art, Layton, Dudek, Avison, Glassco, Souster,Errs sell Nye, are all any put-togetherer could want.\.XV 1 am glad to know your book on Tg0SP^ Chaucer is coming along. I look forward to it. I envy you the London theatre and music; despite the weather, the fact of living in London. I hope to do this for a year again someday. I had hoped to do it on a hunk of the Canada Councils* millions. I applied again this year-not to travel abroad but to travel to Canada (Betty & I wanted to spend six moniths in a car going across Canada); but the answer is again no. If I*m not too vain, I wonder if the refusals are based on the fact that I dont live in Canada? I rather think so.If so, what a damnfool attitude. I guess you also have to possess a postal address. My attitude now is, a plague on both your houses.I*ve had a letter from Art from Cannes. Hope the year’s been nothing but sun and poetry for him. I got ray Contract signed and off to McCLelland & Stewart yesterday; that winds up publication for another book of poems (I called It RIVERS AMONG ROCKS; it should be out this Fall). It*s good to hear they are doing your Selected Poems; and Knopf; and Abelard-Schuman In London.That is exciting- a triple play. (Is A-S the Ebglish associate
-
-
MSS_6_1_1_A_13_123
-
2>81,Dnidnoo II :dseb ad tl oieriwX QVBrf O' ! LTOdd © rftil bevx: ya^. J.o% r«-./JJ or rixgri-* iiX 0>L£I 8 >Ib ..odefor McClelland & S?j I. might try to have them take a few sheets there and down here). About getting pieces in journals beforehand down here, do send a selection to II,L. Rosenthal who edits the poetry for tfThe Nation" (333 Sixth Avenue, New York Ilf); he has taken three or four of mine, is a £x*iend of Art Smith's, and most helpful, I have had some success with the Cornell quarterly* "Sooch" (l£9 Goldwin Smith Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y,); also with T, Weiss, editor of the "Quarterly■ Review of Literature11 (Be* 237, Bard College* Aimandale-on-Hudson, N.Y,), Araer1!© an Scholar “is excellent (l8ll Q {Jtreet N.W.,Washington-9, D.C,) (i;hey are reylowing the P5N0UIN1, John Ciardi is poetry editor for ''Saturday .Revl«r* (2£ Wept Iffjth St, New York 3b). 0tlier3 who have written me nice lottaate but never taken anything are* Haw Yorker (25 West l±3rd, New York 36); Atlantic Monthly, 8 Arlington Streets Boston 16; Virginia Quarterly Reviewr one West gniHfir vharlott^isville,1'' Va; Kenyon Review, Gambiar, Ohiol and, of cours«> Chicago Poetry, i*BKE*13r^eoerid exsd a on_ srcenes od be :voT:q x3,.-$©* i ,414 not sy»e any reviews of <&arvfry-> btft I dont 86^1*1 keep top close an eye on periodicals, Best luck fbr 'Ehgland, I kave (probably like a foolfreive'; >01 s lie» %iJUdfnebn Jmil t o 1taken up my novel again after a year. Apparently the style was an impossible barrier* So X am lowering the sights and explaining what was implicit. But I did think, on reading the ITS again after a year# that it was worth saving. So here I gp on gambling still. KcC k. Stewart are angling for it; & my agent in London (Cyrus Brooks of A*M. Heath who are excellent, by* the way, if you wont a literary agent Ober there and haven* t one. Mention me to Brooks or Mark Hamilton# if yomdsh, for wlaat i t is wort^i). has had a London nibble« - ggsjT^iiiwril ■ ■! L..D erid die If you comc via New York hamews-rds, do please let me know and come and talk ai&d drink, Meanwhile, do list me hear from you again. My best. tc> Esther yofcraelf ;.drcoqei■ grille-1 ns- .0 dariwo.rroa -^IT.artoBteq HA:s rteridons ob dnow I bns enob al ilood erfd-x/08 , oosbbIt) tnoslvA t5febua .nodxsJ , diA TuSxa^^rfed^eY .dnsw blxroo leierfdesod-dirq Y.rm Ilfl e*ii 31 ts-oucxfO ^SS^u& no iood t:.l'oy worn! od bels ii aidc.:>dd nobno»I erf.l iroy yvrre I .dl od frcBWiol &00 ! .nobncJ ixJt gnlvll lo dojs^ erid t*ierfdsew erid edicr »crori b.erf I .TBbemos nlsgs tsex * *rol T5, .4. p. ft£ bt‘IB*rlei eridoo.tlqqB I .BfioIIIlitr f sllorwoO BbsriBO erfd *io 2trxr>rri r.' ) .s&i>risD nl levsrtd od dird bBOtds levstd od don {(BbaosO escyxOB gniog iso b nl ^rfdrxtrroxn xla brtoqs 11 T:ebnow I tniBV ood don n*I II .on hIbsb si ?BbsrtsO ni evil dnob I n-B-rfd dOBl erid no be sad eos I ,sbudlddB loolxdfiriw ,08rq s-aolldc, Oil Ovsnlnr.ob e 'ff.oJ i ooaajinrtsO dog I .mlrijprid JYBbte ’IH dl bell. IB erf o^- bo rcS-frrBledAP5 erid 3-AI won ebirdiddB .Baenbbs I.-:*d-;oq b. v. -.,0. - 7\gsr* ftvtTI. \Lv7u Ot5X I/jSJll V? ¥'lol ^deoq bns nrre vd^d gnirfdon need aex diBwedB rS brcsIIe^OoM od llo bos o I) acieoq “io ^ood iftridonB rrol noid g e*dl .(Hb^ alrid isso ed blx/oria dl brts jlqoriX bn,-- {Bxneo'I bedoole-I) .■'T.3lq' elqi^r’ b —'gnldlox© al dsdT
-
-
MSS_6_1_1_A_13_124
-
6,Prince Albert Rd, London N.W.l 21 Apr 59Dear Ralph,It was good of you to write so fully and with so many useful addresses and hints. As soon as mss begin pouring back from the places I sent to,I will pursue your leads. I hope by now you are getting more reviews for the Penguin,though I havent seen any here apart from the LTLS, There was a warm rev. in the Western Humanities Rev.of the Klinck & Watters anthology(August '58);you should make sure they get a copy of the Penguin, The# rev. was by Wm.Meldrum,U. of Colo.Sorry you havent landed a Can.Council. I suppose you know that non-residents of Canada are eligible in only one section(8);I dont know how much of the year's slice is alloted to sec.8,probably not much,so that you are really handicapped,more so than an American citizen living in Canada is,unfortunately. I think you have to have lived for a year in Canada previous to application, so far as the other sections of the jtoieaMnnaff awards go. I'm certain that if you could manage in some other way to live back in Canada for a year,you could then get a Canada Council grant to take you back to N.Y.—or to TimbuctoolGlad your new book of poems is on the way out. You ask about Abelard-Schuman. It is actually a New York firm owned by an ex-McGill man,Lou Schwarz—perhaps you knew him; he was bus.mgr. of the McGill Fortnightly in the Art Smith days. Lou made some money in trade mags in N.Y. and has risked some of it on a publishing firm, and now opened a branch in j&H&PMit London,and even talks of raiding the Toronto publishing igloos. He's quite a character ;I saw him when heft&s over here briefly last fall. If you are interested at all in approaching him, dont hesitate,and say I urged you to,Dont know the N.Y. adr. but it should be in your phone book, The*fc NY office brought out Turvey last fall, as did the London office earlier ,and it now seeras likely it, wixx go into a Four Square pocketbook for world distribution in 1960--twelve years too latel If Chatto & Windus dont take up your novel why not try Abelard-Schuman,either through Schwartz in NY or directly , as they have some autonomy here and are interested in building a list with Commonwealth market possibilities. The editor here,Derek Gardener, is a good man and I'll speak to him if you say the word.Dont know yet how I'll return to Vancouver;should love to drop in to NYC and see you both. Sorry that card went astray.I have managed to find a duplicate, and here it is.Many thanks for a very helpful letter,Ralph.
-
-
MSS_6_1_1_A_13_125
-
5l5 West 168 th StreetKew York 32, N.Y.April 25, 1959Dear ^Sarle,We really did appreciate the loveliness of your message on the back of the British Museum, card— and were happy to have another card replacing the one that went astray (what a beautiful scitbture)— but the poem we do thank you .for- the added happiness an^ the friendship.Events have moved swiftly# A senior fellowship from the Canada Council came my way. It was a wonderful tiling to have happened. !ry nonsense about continuing a life based on writing was confirmed. Strange how things work out. And, again, thanks to you for the good part played by your letter of support. I had resubmitted the original four (from you, Ned, Art and Frank Scott() and added two more (from Leon Sdel and Robert Ford).I said I wanted to acquaint myself with Canada and write books (what courage)— and so Botty and I start off by car this July 1st, planning to "do" western Canada this summer; and eastern next spring. Would you be home by the end of August? We should be in Vancouver August 25th for some days— and, again, later on September 7th. I thought wo might break in and fly to Whitehorse (I’d like a look at the Yukon)— coming back on an Alaskan Cruise steamer (:TYukon Star") from Skagway to Vancouver Is that the right thing to do? On Sept 11th we'd start over the Rockies homeward.That I'd like to head for Is a three week stay somewhere In the Jasper region- no movement, but just an overwheIming glacier to look at; the moments I wasn't overwhelmed I could use a typewriter.Would a cabin be feasible in the Jasner region (Mt Edith Cavell vicinity or Sunwapta Palls vicinity)'). Or does that cost a fortune? I remembered your poem, Takkakaw Falls, and would like to go up the Yoho Valley & from there to line raid Lake®If you have a moment to write, could you steer us away from what HOT to do? I suppose what I i«mt is impossible— to live for a while amongst snow-capped peaks away from other spcimens of touring human beings, without having to get there on crampons!Anyway, we do hope we can see you? Could you and Esther join us for a few days? We have a '56 Chevrolet with I4. new tires,1*11 send a copy of the Penguin for review to the "Western Humanities". I think the "American Scholar''’ is doing a review In their Spring issue. The "Manchester Guardian" thought the book showed how close English-Cdn poots were to identity wich Canada* From confidential sources, I found that Eaton's in Toronto ordered 10 copies; and Eaton's in Montreal ordered 5* ^7 God, that's noble of them. I have some poems in the Summer Queen's Quart, and one that's not too bad in the May or June Cdn Forum. Hope you have luck with the U.S. periodicals. I learn that Karl Shapiro is now editing "The Prairie Schooner" (University of Nebraska, Lincoln 8, Neb.) & "The Chicago Review" (Univ of Chicago, Chi 37) Is another decent place to appear.
-
-
MSS_6_1_1_A_13_127
-
„sPAR AVIONAIR LETTIAEROGRAMMEW 4r\hry--£,\ •_*' iMr, Halph Gustafgon............l.e.w....J.Qrk...32.,....U.*Y...............U.-S..A-......................................................Sender’s name and address:..■ Second fold here ■■■■■>Birney6,Prince Albert RD London N.W.l EnglandAN AIR LETTER SHOULD NOT CONTAIN ANY ENCLOSURE ; IF IT DOES IT WILL BE SURCHARGED OR SENT BY ORDINARY MAIL.- jno aado ox
-
-
MSS_6_1_1_A_13_128
-
30 April 59Dear Ralph,Delighted to hear of the Gan.Council fellowship—at lastJ And just what you wanted^ Do hope we meet in Vancouver though I wont he there when you arrive. Might get there by Sep 7, though term doesnt open for another week after- thatjhave to find a place to live as we sold our house last May when we left for Europe. Your schedule may work out well,provided there isnt an early freeze in the Yukon.Late August & Sept.Ml oftwn such perfect weather around Vancouver it seems a pity to go north at that time.x^zH<3±z±Bsz5cztzKziiafe!aiani!ixt±i±x However, if your year teminates the following first of July, I h suppose you had better get the north in as early as possible this year. The livelt north now seems to be more in the EWT than in the Yukon, which" is largely decayed romance I'm told, but I dont speak from personal experience. If you can afford it,at the right time, you should get to Aklavik or even farther" east,Eskimo country.As for the Rockies, September can be pleasant, but sometimes winter sets in on Labour Day,around Banff,and the Jasper region is much the same.If it keeps warm enough,and the snow stays off, it's a fine month because there arent mosquitoes or flies, left and the woods are full of bears and berries and squirrells etc.Also Sept. ischhaper,as the expe(snive official tourist season ends with Labour Day,and all the hotels suee either close or come down in rates.If it's glaciers you want to look at, dont got to Banff; Lake Louise,yes,but even in Sept. it may be touristy & expensive.Between Louise and Jasper would be best, the Columbia Icefield country,though I have no personal experience of staying there. I know some wonderful offbeat lakes in the Banff-Louis e region but I wouldnt recommend them unless you had lots of time to pack in, and more assurance of good father than mid-Sept. gives. You should be able to ggfc rent cabins almost anywhere in Sept —and you may find it impossible,at this date, to rent any before that month,anything worth staying in,that is. The Banff scenery though not particularly snowcapped in Sep. is <£till pretty fine and less cluttered than earlierjxXmcaaigkixEiqpa^ but,with3ax a car to help get out when you want, somewhere less inf estedxsoi: would certainly be more sensible: the Yoho area is wonderful, also the Peyto# Lake country. You say to steer you from what not to do—well,dont go anywhere in the Rockies in July-Aug. without reservations. In Sept. dont get too isolated,in case of snowj otherwise,anywhere is good. I do wish we could join ydlTIf only for a weekend but best not to make any promises when our" first care will be to find a roof over our heads before term opens.Keep in touch,though.Write me to the English Dept.just before you arrive in Vancouver,if not before that.Atlantic has taken a small poem of mine for the June issue,& LHJ another.Poetry Chi.,as usual,turns me down, a proud unbroken record beginning with "David'. Have placed poems over here with English & Threshold(Dublin) .but hope for betterthan that before I leave. And now back to Chaucer; G-lad you liked v the card;the message should have been a poem but in my haste I got not farther than "notes for a poem".Later,perhaps. I ^ remember your wo ad erf ill epithalamium for someone, your brother^You should be even more handsomel^e^*^—- \
-
-
MSS_6_1_1_A_13_129
-
5l5> West 168th StreetNew York 32, N.Y,May 6, 195932ear Earle,It was immensely good of you to take all that time out to write me so helpfully about our safari to the west coast*I told Betty your* remark about the Yukon- that it was now largely ’'decayed romance"— and she sweetly and innocently and romantically replied, "Well, that ought to suit you*I can't f-;et a boat down from Skagway to Vancouver zmftstib except on le't lith; so v.re will probably fly to White-horse the end of August and be back in Vancouver Sept 8th«So then perhaps we can see you if you are not too harassed house-hunting* At any rate, I shall write you to the Ihglish Dept, It would be grand to have a day with you before we set off eastward again, bill He Connell has been most helpful & overwhelmed me with hospitality wanting us to stay with him when we arrive in Varcouver Aug 23rd. He has friends in tcuc’’ with places to stay in the Rockies, We plan our stay in the mountains for the first three woeks in August. I suppose that is the most expensive tim&- but perhaps we'll be lucky enough to get a place high up and not overran with tourists; and on your warning 1*11 try to book reservations as soon as I hear from Bill McConnell, If it's always that crowded, we*11 try at least to get a few days In in the Columbia icefield country? and the Yoho area (I couldnt find Peyto Lake on my map;.,. There'll be some place to stay In, and from there we can always drive the car and look,A year's stay in Rome would have been so much simpler*Hope Chaucer goes well,Glad to hear of the Atlantic Monthly, that's a good berth. I've a couple of poem3 in 'the poetry issue of the rSi', end a fair one coming in the Cdn Forum, Meanwhile I try to leam to write prose and make money.Again, thanks for sending us the signposts- and we'll hope to see something of you in Vancouver,N-J ...../C
-
-
MSS_6_1_1_A_13_131
-
16 Seo 60— Dept of English, University of B.C.Vancouver,Cane ar .<ZZ!l3ca.iad,-to get your July note. The radio reference was jtts-fc- passrng tribute to your ’’Pigeon" which turned up 'as alive' as ever,in Weaver's new collection—I was review-.ng f^^n Crit.Speak. Am looking forward to seeing your iockj.es po^ms; I hear Bill & Alice are publishing them. Glad^ou liked the Bangkok and Kyoto poems. The latter has ilread^been out 5 times; must be the reference to Zen, a sure way of catching an editgr^s ..eye.^It,'s in Western Human Rev.; PSA Golden Anthol. ; ^S^London'l"fag. Another of my projected Asian group was taken by NYorker last fall,but they are still sitting on it. Hope you Betty enjoyed your Maritimes trip and that everything goes well for you oth . All/the best, ,EARLE BIRNEY
-
-
MSS_6_1_1_A_13_132
-
700 West 176th StreetNew York 33, N.Y.June 9, 1961Dear i^arle,Could I use your poem "Bushed,f in a special issue P^str^ Pilot— t^e bulletin of The Academy of American. Poet&- which is being devoted to Canadian work? ihe president, Mrs Hugh Bullock, asked me to edit the issue. I had a leeway of 8 poems only— and have confined the issue to recent conte^orary r>oetry. The Issue will be either August or September and 1*11 send you a copy- unless you already get the Bulletin?Your Six Poems in TR were grand— all your poems end inevitably— a rare treat- Capt, Cook and especially ^rydice of the Pachucan Miners. What a bag of poems you came home with,I guess you are away now,,. Do you ever come this way? We've moved— so now have more room- a Castro (capitalist) Convertible, And we'll shove a cold drink In ^our hand. T,et us Imow, Does your new book come out this year? Someday, ietby & I will get back to the rtockies...All the best to you and Esther.Yours,
Pages
