Correspondence, Earle Birney
Pages
-
-
MSS_6_1_1_A_13_026
-
June 70, 1942Dear l^arle,^any commiserstions over the incident that gave you the new address. A broken arkle is no incident however— knowing from experience* I must confess hois ever that the ankle may give no the article for O.C.W.? The MS is still held up. £ Seem to get more 8c. no? e work piled on mo what with repor ts anci all the stulf necessary to be done at the "rit Information Services. I'v*" tskea off ten pounds and have a hangdog look,I was glad to have your notes on the AUTHO QQY*I particularly stressed the modern stuff-- not only bbcan.'?* it is bet ter poetry but because It nodded presentation at hone-- and particularly abroad, •‘•hey all tv ink were smothering under the mattress of the 19th century, And yet, except for two or three that got In u dor pressure, 1 think tho weeding Job on the older stuff was a salutary effort. I know art Smith thinks I’ve nerlect* d tho pre—iMirvvamnBt But I dont go rjuoh for Oixr'r 1 er -1 v e a prints,Th? book's about run through 1L>,000 I believe--and the notices have bren tit great length-- though I’vp only se«n about dozen reviews. I thought the Saturday Night editorial a good send-off. 1 didnt see the Laraisnjan article £n the ''Gazette"-- will try and get a copy. Sorry you arent" r‘viewing the book somewhr-re. Alan Brown ii;;pr oaaed :ie— but I havent seen any of hi a stiff appearing for some time, hope he is still In the rvnrlng. I have some doubts too about hambleton— cerebrally self-conscious— but he may shape, a friend over week-end singled out SLUG IN SUMMKR as particularly i’\pres-live. I'hr^re should have been more of you.I assume that the people who sent thei e MSS to me through your kindne3a rauat bo wondering. I just havent had tim^ to assess It ,op- rlj. i-ut I -will aa soon as noseible,Do you know Art Smith’s address wherever he is?^ eat speed for a good recovery and perhaps you can find time for a proae-plece?
-
-
MSS_6_1_1_A_13_028
-
Nov. 10/42. 45 Isabella St., Toronto, Ont. Dear Ralph. I never got tine either to answer your pleasanl letter or finish that sketch for your Penguin. Am on 12hr. shift personnel selecting for ar y here. Continued congrats, on the# sale of your anthology.I hear many good comments on it. /ould like to hear sometime what you were able to do with the L'SS I sent you from the wreckage of Burnett’s unkept promises. G-lad to hear of one acceptance: Sybil Hut<ij|j.nson,You wont go wrong there. Am sending you a copy of "David”, which has been out ten days and run half way through the edition; i.e. sold 250 copies. The sale is fortuit ous—comes from a silly eulogy by Bill Deacon who got up feeling we martial that morning & mistook me for the ghost, of John Macrae. 7/ould be slad to get an honest reaction from,you--particula^Lry of the things you dont like., which everybody is too polite to bring up. .. Art Smith is back at Mich. State Coll. Lansing. All the best, ^» *ii f
-
-
MSS_6_1_1_A_13_029
-
November 26, 1942Dear Earle,Was particularly glad to have your card and news of yourself. I look forward to the arrival of "David". The title poem is a superb piece of work and I am eager to explore others which I may not have seen. Congratulations on the sale the book is piling up— really remarkable for portry in Canada.I have been asked to guest-edfct the Spring Issue of "Voices” as a Canadian number. May I Include you? Eave you any new poems you could send me? Or might I chhoae from "David"— if the copyright Is clear?But most of all, I'd like the prose-piece for the new Penguin.... Could you steal an hour here and there for it? I havent got the MU off to England yet— partly because the B.I.3, keeps me tied down and partly because I lack Imaginative prose relative to the war.The Penguin Anthology has gone Into a 2nd edition, I hoar. Also, It has boon bound Into stiff covers for text-book purposes* Sounds dull, but the book ia nicely done! The Antho10gy does well down here, X understand.Wish 1 could write something.... no tire.The only piece to appear >;ia on-: this month in "Poetry”— but the poe-’i *a<3 written l ist spring. However, a few othert are on the way out...Would you accept LYRICS 'J : TOM ANTIC ?Would lilre to havj you1 opinion. .All the best,/i i ij! ' <\ p j
-
-
MSS_6_1_1_A_13_033
-
70 Central Park West December 14, 1942Dear Earle,I am non4; grateful for your letter and for "David" which arrived safely and was eagerly welcome. No other Canadian collection deserved more to he made, and I am delighted at the success the book is having. A Canadian public for poetry Is problematic-- but a second edition so shortly is good to hear of. and speaks weightily for the momentum of your poetry.I re-read DAVID again this morning--and know of no Canadian poem to match It. Truly memorable piece of work— masterly in restraint— and nowhere is the drama melo. Congratulations,Three or four of the other pieces were new to mo-- and again startled with the colour and imagery that marks your lines. I appreciated the old-Ehgllsh hark-backs and here-alive. Something so needed in Canadian versing. Alliteration and accent to make muscular so much tepid rhyme and metre. la O.M.Hopkins read In Canada?How stupid of me not to have got more examples from you when I did the Penguin Anthology. When the chance arises, I shall remedy that. Four or five pieces in the Anthology, I am itching to tear out to make way. Does Ryerson’s now own you? My projects and their deficits always leave me handicapped. But do keep In
-
-
MSS_6_1_1_A_13_034
-
mind the Canadian issue of "Voices"— which must include you* But first, if you csn posaiblv make it, the prose-piece for the 2nd Penguin?The M3 has been held up. I have been tied hand and foot to the B.I.3. and havent had time to write a line since last May. So far over Contract-time I am getting worried, but nerhans I can get get the typescript off to England by the first of the year.I had a card from Sinclair R033--in England now with the C.A.O.Do you havti leaves and will the leaves jfceave you free to come perhaps hitherwards? Do let me know.I am most grateful for vour words about LYRICS UNROMAHTIO. They took a deal of living and now that we are in lean years, your words were thrice welcome.All the best— and let me have your news if you can—
-
-
MSS_6_1_1_A_13_035
-
45 IsabellaTorontoJan,2/43Dear Ra.ph,I couldnt face up to writing you until I had something to send you. At last I have it, in such shape as you will judge, enclosed, and re-typed just this last hour, it is still not what I wanted, and never will be, no doubt, but you will judge whether it is what xttu want. If not, please let me have it back as soon as you can, as I want to try it elsewhere.If you take it, I presume it will be at the rates you^quotea. Do you object to prior publication elsew-.ere, as say, in Sat .NightThe ultimate origin of the italij^d phrases will be clear''"' to you. You may not know ( though I have a hearby respect for the British Information Services-- the name sounds so Gibralterish) that the form quoted comprises the whole of the Shortened Prayer for Burial of the Dead in the British (& Canadian) Army.Your exceedingly generous remarks about "David” made me very happy. You exaggerate,of course, but it is very pleasant to hear, just the same. Glad especially that 3^ou like the Anglo-Saxon element. You ask if Hopkins is read in Canada. Qjiite a bit bjr the college literati a few jrears ago, but, outside of the Catholic intelligentzia, not by others. Personally I have striven to avoid his influence in preference for the real stuff, which I rBcastc have read almost in entirety(i.e. Anglo-Saxon poetry).I have read a great deal of middle Snglishtoo and am hoping someday to do a little rifling from Piers Plowman and Gawain & the Green Knight—rifling in the sense of metrical adaptation,I shall keep the Canadian issue of "Voices" in mind, I have several u fine shed things, but at the same time something totally unwritten which I am aching to write, Unfortiflifetely I go back to work in another day's tine, & Jrou may not hear from me till the war is over. But I shall certainly try. ^Would be grateful if you would send me Sinclair Ross’ addresAll the best to you for the coming year, ^Sincerely,c~X
-
-
MSS_6_1_1_A_13_036
-
January 15, 1945 70 Central Park West New York City*Dear ISarle,Many thanks for your letter and for the contribution to the prose Penguin* It is Just what I want and Is already being typed into the MS.Rates as quotedon publication. Isthat all right? And, If you dont object too strongly, could you hold off publication elsewhere? I’d ll^e the Anthology as pristine as possible.Would you keep the Canadian Issue of "Voices” in mind. Deadline February 20th. God knows where I'll get the time to do the job— but shall try.Ross* address is*Sinclair Ross ovte,H 95794 C.O.R.U.Can. Army Overseas, Eng.I certainly hope the space to your next letter will not prove as long a as you say. But meanwhile, my thanks for the contribution, and all the best to you for the comlnpr year.Sincerely,
Pages
