Correspondence, Earle Birney
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My regrets about the loss of "joy” after "soaring”In your piece. It was right in my typed MS but the amission wasnt spotted in the galleys. I'll see that correction is made in the Cdn edition. I wish my * cent a word could be higher-- but I enclose my cheque for $4.25 with many thanks.I am glad Oscar Williams is using a poem of yours in his anthology. I bait him on his neglect of Canadian poets whenever I see him-- and told him his war anthology could not do without you. He's an odd duck* Goes around with his immortality about him most of the time.I've written a pamphlet for the Canadian War Legion Education Services called "Poetry and Canada". My time for writing hag been too haphazard to do full justice— but I think it might help anyone interested in poetry— and I took the opportunity to recommend your "David".Hope the sales thereby leap higher!ELIGHT INTO D-RKNESS has had a good press-- and, as usual (except for Sandwell in the TSN) the most irritating notices have come out of Canada. Kirkconnell in the Globe & Mail attacks me for lewdness, obscurity and "sludging" in dictionaries. Creighton in the Cdn Forum (why dont they cashier him?) accuses me of "self-conscious posing". Y©u might be interested in the N.Y.Times clipping. It's an example of the current practice of preconceiving that most new poetry is obscure and jamming the book into the mould at the cfost of whatever distortion (and surely agility is not the hall-mark of sarcasm?).Would you let me have news of you when you can catch leisure? Would be grateful to see any new poems of yours.Meanwhile, all the best.
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Hew York, N.Y.Deoember 17, 194 5Dear Earle,I’m embarrassed that I have left thanking you for your message from hospital ship last summer, i have meant to r-.-rlte on many occasions. One inadequate excuse is that I have been trying to force publisher* into a better contract foi*CANADIAN ACC' NT II. You were wmfek right to refuse a piece on the old rate. I had no choice of course--and the larger fraction of the hacking behind my anthologies has been from my own pocket. The wedge had to be driven into iftforanoe of Cdn writing. It is now driven, but needs a few more blows. So I stick to the editing game a little while longer until I've launched two or three more anthologies.ItSa a damnable thankless headache, however. But I've got (1 think) u fairly decent contract for my contributor s. So, would you consider again a piece for me? 1*11 lei you know the rate an soon as the Ink's dry.i saw your piece in Y»iliiama anthology find rejoiced that Canada got between the covers.1'r not surprised Wms tamperoci with your text, he considers hi ".self the ex cathedra of all the enfant 3 terribles down here— but judging by his own latest verse, he's rapidly shrinking. Rodman & hiberhart have done an excellent anthology called V»ar and tlie Poet.Bave you seen it? hodman is a good critic.What of your new book of poem3? Will be moat anxious to have it. I've soueezed in a few writing chores-- out vnry few. However, I plan to quit che BIS with the new year, and will have more time.I understand the '‘Northern Quarterlyv Is out in Montreal. V.hat ’ s "Readinr" coming from Toronto as a monthly? Who's doing that?I trust you've now being able to forgot the siege of diptheria and Its aftermaths? Will you be back at the University? I promise myself a few days in Toronto in a couple of months and a forgathering with you. Meanwhile, all the best for the 25th and the New Year, and I’d be glad to have news from you.
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rCANADIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATIONP.O. Box 189, Station "H", Montreal, Quebec.January 5th, 1946.IN REPLY REFER TO FILE NO.........................................Mr. Ralph Gustafson,2 West 67th Street, NEW YORK CITY.Dear Ralph: -This is just a hurried note from my new office to thank you for your letter of the 17th December and to ask you if you can possibly include Montreal in your visit to Canada that you are promising us soon. Perhaps I should explain that since the 1st November I have been working for the CBC shortwave service in Montreal and xvill probably remain here for some time now. I was talking recently to Peter .aylen, Supervisor of our International Service and to Arthur Phelps who supervises the U.K. Section, and they both agreed with me that it would be a good idea to get you to do a broadcast or two for us if and when you came to Montreal. We are hoping to organize a roundtable literary argument among Montreal writers (Phelps had one earlier with Anderson at _aj.) . We might be able to arrange enough work for you with us to make it worth while to defray the extra expense to you in coming via Montreal.Thanks for asking me to come in on another number of "Canadian Accent". I shall be glad to, if by some miracle I find time to write anything again. In regard to the Williams anthology, did you notice that another Canadian was represented, Bertram Warr? I will have one or two interesting things to tell you about him when I see you. In regard to "Reading" (Toronto), it is edited by Allan Anderson and Ronald Hambelton. I do not think the first number is yet out.I have asked my publishers to send you a copy of my new book and hope it has reached you by now.Please try to come this way and pay the International Service a visit. I am interested in discussing with you not only programme possibilities, but staff additions. I am sure your work in B.I.S. must have brought you in touch with persons who would be useful to us. I am at present searching futilely for a good Dutch radio-editor and for someone of assistant-supervisor caliber. Any leads from you would be very welcome.With best wishes for the New Year,Earle Birney (Supervisor)Central European Section).EB:GP
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Now York r?, W-© January 8, 1P46Dear Earle,* *1 had not realized that you had stationed yoursoIT In Montreal with the CBC. Patrick Anderson wtifl down here recently and told me the news. Your new book had arrived the day before— ^nd then came your letter.I do thank you for NOW la TIME. I have read It eagerly-- twice so far, and send congratulations and admiration. Thr. crispness, passion ^nd technical fluency at® all there again-- and shaking circumstance, and the pattern mr;o by men and the unanswerirg peace have crowded In. One or two I had seen ir. the Saturday Kitfht. For iteve remains, for me, the apex. Did you see what Viilliams had done to it? The most intriguing cnanre 13 ,?The slogan’s odd" for "The slogan's old".I whs glad to sec youi* three poena in Dilrorth's ant-holory-- on the whole, n good piece of collecting, dont you t 'inkV Bertram 'vArr ’ 3 one poer J.n Williams' anthology is impressive. Have you seen more of his work?A12 this and other things I should like to talk with yon. Perhaps I nor can make Montreal. Your suggested broadcasts interc ot- me and. I should like to do them. In that case, I think, I would eome up to Montreal directly from here. As toy plans now are,I could be in Montreal by the Plat of February **nd stay on the days necessary, working in .Toronto Inter. What of the sorlpts? A joint job? My. broadcasts down here have been on the "Interview" pattern. T)o let me know details.It mi<?ht be well worth while, concerning yo\ir personnel problems, for mo, if you wish, to speak to the head of the Listening Post of tne BIS. BIS had, of course, a number of foreign radio monitors during the war— and as the Ministry is shortly being abolished and BIS is contracting, it is a good time for any proposals. 1 might get a lead on a good Dutch radio-editor, any need for an excellent Czech?Do keep in mind something for me for CDN ACCENT II. This time I wont be so embarrassed at the fees I can offer. What do you think of the Northern Review?however the broadcasts work out, if I am in Montreal I shall certainly pay you a visit. Again, my thanks for NOW 13 TUTS, and all the best.<s>. / 1 « rv
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CANADIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION 0*31 M&akl ujJ~ .rr6,IN REPLY RtFER TO FILE NO.18-18-6-1P.O. Box 189, Station ”H”, Montreal, P.Q.January 14th, 1946.Mr. Ralph Gustafson,2 West 67th Street,New York 23, N. Y.Dear Ralph:-Many thanks for your letter of the 8th. I am glad you are interested in the possibilities of broadcasting for us enroute. I think an interview pattern is preferable and we can work out the details when you come. Meantime, of course, if you have any ideas for scripts which you would like to prepare and bring with you, please let me know. It would be grand, for example, if we had a series of short scripts on Canadian writers. I wanted to do something like that myself but never have time now. Preferred script length is about four to six hundred words. You should write with a general European audience in mind and quotations of poetry would have to be at a minimum in order to ensure adequate translation.I should be very glad if you did speak to the head of the B.I.S. listening post in regard to possible staff vacancies here. I am still interested in a good Dutch Editor and an Assistant Supervisor.I do not need any more Czechs at the moment but if the one you know has some general European knowledge and some knowledge of Canada, he might be a possibility for the Assistant Supervisor post. I fancy that the difficulty in finding personnel in New York for work here is that they would have insufficient knowledge of the Canadian scene--also I find that New Yorkers shy off our lower salary scale, forgetting they pay twice as much for lunch.Many thanks for your far too kind words about my book. I think I may have something for your ’’Canadian Accent”, when you come up and I have access to some interesting material found in the kit of the late Bertram Warr. I am looking forward to meeting you at last in February.Yours,Earle Birney, Supervisor,Central European Section.EB: JM«
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CANADIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATIONIN REPLY REFER TO FILE NO.P.O.Box 189, Station Montreal,P.Q.March 13,1946."H"Mr.Ralph Gustafson,2 West 67th Street,NEW YORK 23, N.Y.Dear Ralph:This is just a note to inquire if you have had time to make any progress on the scripts which we agreed might be accepted by Arthur Phelps. Meantime I have looked through your "Poetry in Canada" pamphlet with great enjoyment, but I don’t feel that the material is exactly what we would want for an introduction to a radio series to Europe.I think actually that your last paragraph (i.e. before "Recommended books") contains the germ for a whole introductory script to launch a series on contemporary Canadian poets and I hope very much that you will be able to supply us with something like that.Yours sincerely,EB: DW
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New York 27, N.Y.March 20, 1946Dear Earle,Many thinks for your note. I havr been turning over in my nine! the approach to the suggested series of broadcasts on Canadian rests, and, although I have not had tine yet to pet down ho the actual writing (du^ to other commitments), I exoect +-hat I <shall have something for you within ten days.I agree with you that the paragraph you mentioned in my "Poetry and Canada.*' might dop£ for the eventual introductory script--for the bkslt of the script, that in. At any rate, I shall 3end to yon as “soon as possible the two proponed scripts we talVnd about v/ith Arthur Phelps-- ner-mps one on Lampman, and, for the contemporary, one on Pratt. The series, It seems to me, could be Important and most useful.1 trust you have not forgotten your promise to send me material of your own for consideration for CDN ACCENT p.Many thank* for your warn hospitality to me wnen I was In Montreal-- and I look forward to seeing you again either h^re or in Montreal. Meanwhile, I shall pet ahead on the broadcast series./( r ,Mr Earle Birney Cdn droadoanting Corp. P.O.Box 109, Station II Montreal, Quebec.•'N, ■ r ,* * /r/ '
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