Correspondence, Earle Birney

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MSS_6_1_1_A_13_073
CANADIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATIONIN REPLY REFER TO FILE NO.P.O. Box 189, Station "H", Montreal, P.Q.March 21, 1946.Mr. Ralph Gustafson,2 West 67th Street,New York, N.Y.Dear RalphI enclose herewith a copy of "The Levin Bolt". This is the piece I spoke about when you asked me if I had anything prose for the second number of your Canadian Accent. As you can see it is already a period piece and you may not want it for that reason. I would be glad if you would let me know your decision on it as soon as possible, as I want to submit it to Reading unless you wish first magazine rights.I hope we will be getting those scripts from you soon. It does not look now as if I will be coming to New York after all. Perhaps you will be up again in Canada before the year is out. I hope we can have a longer session next time.Best regards,EB: JMEarle Birney,Supervisor,European Section
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Hew York £S, N.Y.^pril 6, 1946D*ar Earle,Herewith the two script i I promised to do as samples for the suggested series of broadcastson G*n&dian poets which you and u-rthur Phelps might use.I’ve done one nod am and one others! s*.To keep within the time limit and to s«y what should be aaid IS something more than a light sketch wwm is to be achieved, is «■ problem. The best elucidation of a poet is quotation-- but I had in mind your translation problem. If Mr Phelps could afford extensions, I could easily slip in more quotation to give point to my remarks.Many thanks for sending me The Levin Bolt.I shall use this in CANADIAN ACCENT ii, if I m^y.I would like to ask for first publication, but, of course, an agreeable to your ua« of It in Heading in view of the fact that I dont suppose I can count ofi publication in Canada for a year. The English edition Is scheduled for the autumn— but Cdn publication of your piece would not overlap with that. Many thanks for your contribution. Payment will coma a« soon as X can get money from Penguin’s, London.I’m sorry I v/ont see you in Hew York this spring. I hope to be in Canada thia June and thatwe can forgather then.Lest regards,Mr Earle BirneyCdn Broadcasting Corp. P.O.Box 189, Station HMontreal, {Quebec.
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CANADIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION-International Service -1236 Crescent Street,reply refer to file no..........................................................Montreal,P.Q.April 6th,1946.Mr.Ralph Gustafson,2-West 67th Street,NEW YORK CITY,N.Y.Dear Ralph:I have just found some notes I made during your visit here which remind me that I have neglected to send you some information you wanted* here it is:Miss Sybil Hutchinson's address is: c/o McClelland and Stewart,Publishers,Toronto,Ontario.Miss Mary Warr's address is:84 Cloverlawn Avenue,Toronto,Ontario.I think it would be well for you to write her directly in regard to copy of Bertram Warr's poems.It is unlikely that I will be coming to New'York after all now as I am leaving the C.B.C. on the 1st of June and proceeding shortly after that to Vancouver to take up a Professorship at the University of British Columbia.I hope you receiv^the prose sketch I sent you sometime ago and will be glad to get your reaction to it.Yours in haste,EB : DW
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CANADIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATIONP.O. Box 189, Station "H Montreal, April 10, 1946IN REPLY REFER TO FILE NO. 6 ~‘rl 5 G—3Mr. Ralph Gustafson,2 West 67th Street,New York 23, N. Y.Dear Ralph:This is to acknowledge your two scripts ("E. J. Pratt" and "Archibald Lampman") which I am passing immediately to Arthur Phelps and which I intend to have translated for use in my own Section. If Arthur wants further quotation he will let you know, but so far as my own sub-sections are concerned I think the material is excellent the way it is.I am pleased that you find "The Levin Bolt" good enough for your next Canadian Accent.I will let you know if Read ing publishes it meanwhile.Hoping I shall see you before I go west.Best regards,Earle Birney, Supervisor, European Section, Foreign Languages, International Service.
MSS_6_1_1_A_13_077
CANADIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION- International ServiceP.O.Box 189, Station "H",in reply refer to file no..............................................................Montreal, P. Q,.April 12th,1946.Mr.Ralph Gustafson,2-West 67th Street,NEW YORK CITY, N.Y.Dear Ralph:On further consideration of your two scripts I have decided that a few small changes are necessary in order to make the material completely clear to the average European listener. Also I feel that the scripts are not really complete without all the quotes which you originally planned. I am therefore returning both scripts to you to see if you approve of the changes I have made and to ask you to add quotes either where I have indicated or wherever you feel is best. We have decided to quote the English on the air even to foreign listeners and follow it bjf a translation so that we will probably use exactly the same text for both the U.K. and foreign language sections.When you return the scripts would you mind having each sent in duplicate so that I can pass on one copy to Arthur Phelps without delay. I think the scripts are going to be a very important contribution to our Canada projection.Yours sincerely,—Aul/Earle Birney,Supervisor,European Section, Foreign Languages.EB: DW
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Nev/York UP, N.Y.*pril 16, 1946Dear Karle,Herewith my two broadcast scripts on Lampman and Pratt. I have retyped then to include your suggestions and fxirther quotations. I was glad of the opportunity to display the actual noetrv. But what is tho time-limit now in mind?X take it that you and ^rthur Phelps wish me to go on with a series? If so, is it six you would wish? Six at four minutes each *t ^15 a go? I’m glad that the plan is materializing-- for it seems to me the needed advertisement for Canada.I wish they could be beamed down here-- where Canada seems to be only synonjpous with rationing and Russian spies.I’ll be glad to do the broadcasting for Arthur Phelps if he finds me satisfactory. I should be in Canada again in Juno. If his original decision for August transmission holds I could drop by to make records at that time.Many thanks for sending me tho two addresses. I am anxious to have CDN ACCENT carry another of Sybil Hutchinson’s grnre stories and a poem of Vvarr's.Many thanks too for letting mo have a copy of your article in The Manitoba ^rts Review. It is most stimulating and I’d iike nothing better than to discuss It at length with you. I have Just finished another "New York Letter" for the Northern Review. It prot sted too against some of the tendencies you mention-- and certain ones manifest In the Review. I'll be interested to learn If they run it.I an hoping that we may forgather before you l^ave for the west. Meanwhile, best wishes.Mr F-iarlo Birney,Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Montreal, Quobeo.
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CANADIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATIONInternational ServiceREPLY REFER TO FILE NO.18-18-6-1P.O.Box 189, Station "H", Montreal,P.Q,.April 17th,1946.Mr.Ralph Gustafson,Two-West Sixty-Seventh Street,New York 23, N.Y.Dear Ralph:This is to acknowledge receipt of your revised scripts on Lampman and Pratt. Many thanks for revising them so promptly. I do not think that the added length of the scripts will interfere with broadcast plans. However, I can speak only for my own section and say that we will make a translation of these scripts into Dutch and Czechoslovakia,doing what we can about the quotations, and probably adapting the material also for German listeners.I am today turning over one copy of each script to Arthur Phelps and asking that he communicate with you as to whether or not they are satisfactory for his purposes and if he wants you to go on with a series of six at #15.00 each. I will ask him also to decide if he wishes you to make recordings in June when you come to Canada again.Yours sincerely,Earle Birney,Supervisor,European Section, Foreign Languages.EB :DW
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*'/«CANADIAN POETRY MAGAZINEOffice of the Editor Earle Birney Acadia Camp University of B.C. Vancouver, B.C.DearI have accepted the editorship of the Canadian Poetry Magazine for the next three years. I am instituting a new policy which includes scrapping the present "prize" system and substituting payment for all verse published at a rate still to be determined (probably 10 to 15 cents a line). The magazine will continue to appear every other month at the same price and with approximately the same number of pages. There will be a new board of editors and although financing will still be the responsibility of the Canadian Author’s Association the editorial policy will be set by me.I want to make this magazine the outstanding vehicle for verse in Canada. I think this is an opportunity which cannot be passed up.I cannot, however, accomplish my purpose unless I get the support of the best writers of poetry in this country and that is why I am writing you. By "support" I mean simply that you give me the opportunity to publish in CPM the best work which you are producing. I am especially anxious to get the September issue out as quickly as possible and with a representation of poets throughout Canada. Will you help pe by air-mailing one or more poems (as well as a stamped addressed envelope) of any length which you have not previously published? I am quite aware that the standard of CPM has fallen below what it should be. Will you do what you can to help me make it worthy of its title?Sincerely voursEditor.
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? West 67th Street New York ??, N.iT.September 6, 1946Dear E^rle,iYour request for material for the Canadian Poetry Magazine had to aw«it my return from a visit to Canada. I an sorry not to have responded sooner »md I an »fraid that the enclosed contribution will be too late for your September issue. However,I send it. ^long hor'lne: th«t it will be in time for the first iss\ie under your «egis.I certainly congratulate the CPM and the CAA in obtaining you as editor. My ooinion of the CPM h^s been much worse than neutral and, frankly, I would not have wanted mv stuff to annear with the verse which it has been presenting. Needless to say, with vou in charge, I an confident of revolution.1 send all {rood wishes thnt your task wont be m°de too thankless.I take it that poems cant have been published in the States. That explains my single offering, i^ll my other new poems are about to anpear or are out being considered.My thnnks for suggesting to Mr Lamb that he request my Knlthalamlum and Lyrics Unromrantlc. X havp sent him complimentary conies today.The CBC was apparently left in confusion wh^n they lost vou. I had a tnlk recently with Robt ^11pn and Stewart Griffiths. They had no Idea whether the two scripts I sent vou had been used or not (at least I got nothing for then) r>nd, what’s nore, they lost both of then. However, they have asked ne to do a series of 6 or 8 fifteen ninute pieces on Cdn poets.I was sorry to l^arn yoxi had withdrawn fron easy contact-- but congratulate the U of B.C. When you con»a east apaln do let ne know.Sincerely yours,n
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Aeadia Camp, U.B.C., Vancouver, B.C.-— 14 Sap 46Daar Ralph,Many thanks for your letter of 6 Sep. and mh for "Animus at Corpus", which I shall be delighted to uae in the next (^e.) issue. Sometime in January, probably, you will be overwhelmed with a cheque from the Toronto office for |2«70 (15? * line). Better than having to compete with Edna Jacques for a ten-bufck prize, though. No? Please let me know what you think of the Sep0 issue-making some allowance for the hellish difficulty I had editing it(having to scrap all but five poems of fifty that Kirkconnell had earmarked for publication^ —no secretarial help now or then, no stationery even yet, utter confusion at the Toronto end, trying to get decent copy, persuade associate editors to serve,etc.) Doci issue will be better but I dont think Sep.'s is so bad. If you like it please do everything you can to publicize the change**** of policy and to make people realize that this policy wont endure unless circulation increases as well as quality. The old ladies will start cancelling their subs and I need substitute^ 1 am angry at CBC for losing your scripts. I left them,and everything else, in applie-pie order with written instructions to Griffiths and copies to Phelps. But Phelps is an organizational moron and his office a perpetual Cave-of-the-Winds.1 hope you will send me more poetry soon,and meantime your honest reactions to the Sept. issue. v.Sincerely, „ 1/ »
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CANADIAN POETRY MAGAZINE(PUBLISHED BY THE CANADIAN AUTHORS ASSOCIATION)SECRETARY«TREASURER !ROBINA MONKMAN 194. ADELAIDE ST. P.O.. TORONTOOFFICE OF THE EDITOR EARLE BIRNEY. ACADIA CAMP. UNIVERSITY OF B.C.. VANCOUVER. BDeariW-A/-In March 1943 the British poetry magazine, CUIPOSTS, will issue a Cax.adian Number, of which I will be guest editor. (At the same time, the editor of OUTPOSTS will be guest editor of a British Number of the CANADIAN P0ETT1Y MAGAZINE). I am anxious to make the Canadian Number of CTJTPOSTS representative cf the best in contemporary Canadian verse.I should like to consider a selection of short poems, previously unpublished, from your own work, so that I might choose one for the Canadian Number* Contributions should reach me not later than December 15, 194-7.
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New York 23, N.Y.October 1, 1947De-^r Earle,Many thanks for the invitation to contribute to OUTPOSTS under your editorship.I'n most happy to do so. /Tost of my unpublished poems nre out in two or three quarters at present; end I’d like a little more time with others I am workir.sr on# Hut do count on me.I shall see that you get MSS to consider in good tine before your deadline.I like the idea of exchange editorships. You were good enouprh to put Mr Arendt in touch with me. I sent hir a. short story of mine and he has done it into German. A Canadian anthology for a German publisher is also In the making.It has be>'n a pleasant correspondence. In arendt himself an author?CANADIAN hOCERT II 13 still very nuch in prospect, but I have had to hold my fire until 1 could settle terms adequate for my contributors. The first edition of CANADIAN ACCENT I is exhausted (I am pressing for a reprinting) and has proved Itself. Now Penguins must do better by us.Nothing but plaudits is due you for the way you*ve revivified tho CPM.I hope you don’t allow your own writing to be sidetracked?Sincerely,

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