Correspondence, Earle Birney

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New York 23, N.Y.November 18, 1947Dear K^rle,apropos of the Canadian number of OUTPOSTS, I'm sending along four new poems which I hope you’ll like.When I was in Montreal recently I saw Frank Scott and ^be Klein. Everyone is anxious to launch a national creative Review... I also saw Ira Dilworth ~nd had fairly recent news of you.I've not forgotten that I have your LEVIN BOLT. Publishers nre slow and unpredictable but the MS of ray 2nd CDN ACCENT is now in the process of being fin lly typed.What is your own literary news?With best wishes.Sincerely,4 encs:Prolegomenon at Midnight Dialectic to a Theme of Villa-Lobos Documentary Still Life
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CANADIAN . PDETRY MAGAZINE(PUBLISHED BY THE CANADIAN AUTHORS ASSOCIATION)SECRETA RY*TREA8U RER t . t OFFICE OF THE EDITORROBINA MONKMAN 24--11--4 7 EARLE BIRNEY. Ac.DIA CAMP.194. Adelaide St. P.O.. Toronto university of B.C.. Vancouver, B.C.Dear Ralph,/Many thanks for lotting me see the four poems# I have taken "Documentary" and "Prolegomenon to Midnight". Probably I will have room for only one of these in the OUTPOSTS issue(which is much smaller "than an ordinary issue of CPM); in that case, I will use "Documentary" in the June 48 issue of CPM, if that is satisfactory to you. This would mean that you would need to withhold«4MAHMMB "Document ary" from publication elsewhere in Canada or the U.S. until July 48. Please let me know if this is not satisfactory to you, and tell me also if you have a new book under way or any other recent news which I might use ina biographical note about you for £he OUTPOSTS issue. Glad to hearfthat No0 2 of CAN. ACCENT is still breathing, even if parturition is slow. I have just corrected galley proofs of my third book of verse, THE STRAIT CF ANIAN. The poem with the title-line will appear in HARPERS shortly (Dec* number, I think). I started a nvfel last summer but have had nc time to werfK on it sine* returning to the academic grind--we have 9^00 stidents this year (*?nd most|of them seem to be taking sophomore English).I Vieh the Montrealers would.for a change, back an existing mag* they alwys feel that any mag. they arent running is a rival to be downed; why cant theyjpfcget behind young Paul Arthur's H^R^x NOW venture,due to come out next, month^nlessIV’ f‘"8n‘lally 3tarv"J out of th' “4 H. ha a wondorful tyj»,£ood •to. Ahc
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I was startled to read your "Documentary11 be causetwo: weeks ago, I wrote on a similar ide(re. Xmes) for KAYFAI? mag. You'll be amused to see the coincidental likenesses—if AFFAIR publishes it; they may find it too "bitter" and not sufficiently E.K.Brownish .All the best,
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New York '«!!% H.Y.Dec mber 6, 194.17Dear Earle,■ .any thanks for your letter. I'm glad vou are going to use PROLEUOMENON .‘iT ¥1DNIC-iT Cat1'— not rtto") and perhaps DOCUMENTARY in the Cdn issue of Outposts.If you have room I or DO CUM ENT AR Y In "Outposts I can send along another po^m f or the June issue of CPM. If not, it's OK to use DOCUMENTARY In the June CPM. but In any event, would you change the word "delayed” In the first line to "perverse".I'll witch for our coincidence in your poem for Mayfair-- tho* it's difficult to see Mayfair down here. I wrote another poem on the same line of attack which appeared in the current Tomorrow— thought you might like to see the enclosure. It brought a moving response fro>r » reader yesterday-- nnd from a stiff-knecked neck of the woods; Vermont.:s for recent news for the biographical note: I hav* n new book of poems to follow Flight into Darkness: it’s called Rivers among Rocks and should be out in autumn 1948. TTew short stories have appeared in Atlantic Monthly, Enoch, and Cross-Section 1945.1 got the Dec harpers with your poem in it-- a first-rate pleasure. v?elcone news, too, that your third book Is not far off. Did you ever have further news of the Cdn anthology which Souster wa3 doing for Ryer non' a?Sutherland's still on the nttack, jl see. He's got me on a ''complacent perchw In the current Ho, I had lunch yesterday with Carol Coates who is behind Here Sc How. His contents seem first-rate.Could x get a couple of copies of the Cdn Issue of Outposts throxigh you?All the best,
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THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIAVANCOUVER, CANADA24 January 1949DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISHDear Ralph,Graftings. Long time no hear. D® you remember two er three years ago taking a prose aketeh of mine called The Levin Belt for your Can.Accent II?Are you etill going ahead with that project? 1 ask ht-cauee I havs so far withheld this piece from publication elsewhere. New a new mag«,"Can»diun Life" being projected in Toronto wante to uae The Levin Bolt. Would you have any objection to their using it? If you can use it within the next few months and wouldnt want to have it appear elsewhere, I can tell "Can. Life" no eale(they will pay me twenty bucks for it).I havent anything else to offer them at the moment as my "hovel is still pretty much in firat-draft state.I hope things go well with you.Let me b*e ytur newa sometime.
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2 West 67th Street New York kS, N.Y.January U9t 1949Dear Earle,It would be quite unfair to you to hold up THE LEVIN BOLT any longer. It Is In my ACCENT 2, and the M3 has been with Penguin’s In London for a year whll-? they make up their mind whether their supply of paper Is more valuable than Canadian writing. It is unconscionable— I’ve written abd cabled and aft^r the commerfcfcal successes of my two other Cdn collections if they soon do not make up their minds, I intend to take the MS elsewhere. Meanwhile, do go ahead with its publication-- but may I still keep the piece safely in ray MS? My apologies for this long l«ps» of time.I meant to write you how impressive I thought THE STRAIT OP ANIAN-- but I said so in the Forum and perhaps you saw the various quotes.elsewhere from the review. My own new collection of poems, RIBERS AMONG ROCKS, will (I hope) appear this year. I’ve got to the point where I must abandon its poetry and rest as content as I can with my flaws. Do let me know if you like the long poem of the book to appear In Here &. Now. Am anxious to see your novel. Some of my short stories have appeared— but I want to test myself too with a novel. We miss your editorship of CPM. AH the warmest best— and I hope the novel isn't pushing aside your poems too seriously?
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Hew Tor : 23, :.Y,September 1ij* 19^9Dear Aarle,I arrived hone on Uonday aftor throe months in -Jurope— including a nonth in London whore I net Lionel ' onto 1th of Poobr# Coimionwoalth aiid oward iorgoant of Outposts*"’ Bo tli a31.j6cT :ae to scn3T you good greo t ings. fhey are volionont about tlio vigorous health of Canadian poetry and astounded no not only with their Icnowledge and onthuaiasra but thy refreshing conviction that England must loam fron Canada.l ontoith Is nost happy about the possibility that you trill adit a Canadian issue for Mia- and hopes to hear scon from you.Canadian poetry so ora to be making inroads. John Lehnann wrote m of his into--oat. And I had good interest fron Itobert Herrinc over a luncheon* lie is planning a Car radian issue of Life £ Lptters for next year.I've just glanced at the new issue of Eero and How and fin! thoi-o’s an extract fron your forthcoiriih;,' novel. Tho latter is good news Indeed. Please let ne laxnr wlion It is available.And thanks for* mentioning ay work on the CBC. I had a note fron then about an August broadcast.All good wishes for an enornous success with Aorvey.Sincerely,
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THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIAVANCOUVER. CANADA17-9-49DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISHDear Ralph,Yours of l4th just arrived. Many thanks for sending the offprint,which I might otherwise not have 3een,and for your very kind mention of me in it. Your article,appearing where it does, is an important "deed" for Canadian writers and I'm heartily glad of it. I'm particularly glad you reminded the British that we have some ability to laugh. My TURVEY is an attempt to make a few more Canadians laugh and at the same time dig into the elusiveness of being a Canadian. Having just finished g galley-proofs, I'm in the state of mind where I'm sure I've failed to do anything with the material,but I tell myself that no reader has to read it more than once,and may like it better than I do now in consequence. If you like it at all I'd be grateful to know what you think it's chances are of an American publisher. I suspect it will be easier to get it accepted in England. So far I havent tried anyone outside Canada. McClelland & Stewart are the agents but I've a feee hand to work irdkpendently and check with them®Glad you had a summer in Europe and saw Monteith,etc. I doubt if I'm going to have time to edit that Canadian number for him.Swamped with teaching duties,as usual-Sorry you missed hearing my reading of your "Dedication".(I read it also last winter in a broadcast to Britain).I very much wanted to know if I'd muffed the interpretation of one or two phrases. I think it's a grand poem ,an^nore so every time I read it* And it needs to be read aloud. I hope you wont stop writing poetry. Afraid I have,for a while anyway.
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2 Weat 67th StroetHow York 23, U.Y.Octobe. 9, 191*9:)ear Harle,Go© 1 to have news of you# The 0:1c or two excerpts I’ve seen from TTnWHT arc most engaging. now ;;ood to see such liveliness and humanity in a Canadian novel! X do send all wishes for < sue ;eas« When willit be ptiblished? I’d lovo to read it for X feel it should Iiavo publication doxm here as well# Had you thought of Houston Uifflin (•■tjr own experience with then is that they*re most anxious about fresh work in the novel)— or of Little ^I’own (I could get you a none to sen-', it be thrc my Atlantic connections)?tlany thanks for yot:r 1:30 of "Dedication” on the air*-- it’s always refreshing to knew that a poem onco in a while is not really in limbo# I ho: 0 y< ... have a story in the revised edition of i’aoey’s anthology? He is tic Inc --V “1 hr- ir Stormu~ which a:.;.. nanagod to get into Folly’s I-enow Roll f ■*. year, though rot in the text-' though. I think it a bettor* story than the one she printed last year# Tho Hew exico Quarterly --ovlew is printing another of mine— one which went the Canadian rounds! ne has to give then away to Canada’s worthy little maga.Would you yet again lend mo your support?I'el having a shot at a Guggenheim Pollowship-to '.."rite a hook of poems# l ay I please use your name as ref or once? I’d bo most grateful for your reinforce.icnt# I suppose ray chances are slim-just saying I want to write a book of poems# But what else to say when one wants to write a took of poor is?Yours,
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THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIAVANCOUVER, CANADA12-10-49DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISHDear Ralph,':ill/k be glad to plug you to the linit for the Guggenheim,and here’s hoping they’ll be sensible enough to give it to youi^I got turned down last year with a proposal 'o finish writing Turvey and go on to a book of poems.This was my second turn-down and I've given up trying. They never tell you why they refuse; perhaps it's just as w^ll* La3t year,as I remember, none were gi^vn to Canadians for creative work*Glad to know Pacey is including you* I havent heard from him so presume he isnt interested in my stuff; my short-story output has been very small anyway. If I wernt tied down by the academic grind I’d like to write some more but my only chances for writing are in the summer holidays.McClelland & Stewart are sending a copy of Turvey to Little,Brown, as soon as it comes off the press(late this week). Little,Brown mm and they have some kind of agent relationship. So a word from you to anyone you know there would be of great help any time now,and not too far off. I'm asking McC & S to send you a complimentary copy so you can change your mind when you've seen how far short of a good novel it is after all.All the best,and in haste.9 9- ^ MI . 0 're <■
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.... -O : O't iilt H i/.'Oo i Hew York 23, H.Y.October 17, 191-9Dear .larln,I*n nont grateful for* your rolnforoonont about -i-- I boliovo tLo proofcdure is to wait uixtxlthey send a oossKunic ation to you— v/Moh, I gu^-as, will -jaciudtt a .. vi project ioi- tuom to iinu. out whetherI can fulfil it or not* I mdo nine as brief as possible.A book oi i-ot cry, i tli&y underbtand* ia a book of poetry. Z roally expect they'll turn nr. do\m* I understand *’vague” ci'^Uvivo preheats clout ixipi-eua as xaaeh ua Research into the *7oya of TThitc ‘.nts... rut ... fi •otiv-n of the C-ur;g. i’ortunt UQi/iv. be u_u^ to ha,Vfc aiouna* Cfioi-wd a novel"and a book of poena by you— they*re real"’: stupid to by-paao eucl. application .u. tI*ou, 1 I'waoAbei- la l^Ifl w*ey elooted to back poetry by one, !"r Zrbriskic.Uxauk you, too, ior a&Vi&t, a copy of 'iouj&C aent ne. I look forward to it with dvlir;-\t. I shall apeak to the i-v-K-v critic, ■J'hcrlcs kolo, about it- lie*a on the uaathead of tho Atlantic and r-Ky knotr cone or.n to pass tho word along to -ittld, 11 clvu*All the host— and vramost thanks for your response
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Now York 23, N.Y.November 23, 19^-9Dear A&rlc ,I*vc just flnislied reading fi?OHVITr ser-id lay congratulations In aeptuplicate# It’s a grand Job and I haven’t boon sc vastly araisei since undo Toby went to tho wars.It ha3 wliat all good novols liavo— delight and I absorbed it in throe pleasurable gulps* Your consistency is imprc c.river- tho temptation to tangential indignation, outrage, perhaps even bitterness, rrist have been strongs- but you stuck to Titrvoy and all’s right# Ploanc add rzy adr&ration and congratulations to all the others,I hope you had 3uccoss about Little, Brown tc’ring it down here? I spoke to diaries Rolo, critic on tho Atlai^ic^, and he vrrcrrired rm to speak to soriione on Little, Brown, to keep a weathor japan eye open*All the best— and waroestregards.

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