5 letters and 5 postcards to Gordon Cairnie of the Grolier Bookshop, 1943, 1944, 1946, 1952
Morse (1916-1985) was a poet from Salem, MA. He received his MA from Harvard in 1938 and his PhD from Boston University in 1952. His first book, "Time of Year" was published by the Cummington Press in 1943 with an introduction by Wallace Stevens. He had a long teaching career at Northeastern University. The first letter from Dec. 28, 1943, is written from an army base in Greensboro NC and appears to be a friendly response, with a good deal of content about life in Greensboro, to a Christmas letter from Cairnie. The next is a more bookish letter from Feb. 24, 1944, still in Greensboro, where Morse thanks Cairnie for the book shipment that included Barzun and Bemelmans, discusses reading Hershey's "A Bell for Adano" and gives some thoughts about "Time of Year" -- "...it is a handsome job, except that the lettering on the spine and the design were to be in bright leaf yellow -- and the result is muddy and unclear. But the title page is a beauty, and the printing is excellent...I feel very much pleased with it all in all, as I should." Morse goes on to ask about a Klee illustrated edition of Candide and whether a copy with an original print is available for purchase. The next letter is dated June 5, 1944 from an army base in St. Louis, a friendly letter responding to Cairnie's about a fishing trip made unhappy because of a toothache, and requesting an anthology of Vanderbilt writing. The next envelope contains three postcards from 1946 to Cairnie and one handwritten note from November of that year. One postcard requests copies of "Eddie Weismuller's book" and anything new by Stevens, some Montaigne, and Robert Lowell's book when it comes. Another postcard announces that "the limited Esthetique will be on its way as soon as coloring is complete; I'm afriad back orders on the Notes had already exhausted the edition -- but there may be one or two left" -- which suggests that Morse was working at the Cummington Press filling orders of Stevens' books. The third postcard asks for W. C. Williams' "Briarcliff" and gives some news from home, and regrets missing Anais Nin's visit to the Grolier shop. The note on a full sheet simply follows up on some book requests re Robert Lowell and Wallace Stevens, etc. The final envelope contains a handwritten letter from Trinity College in Hartford dated May 16, 1952, and two postcards from 1952, also from Hartford. The letter references and enclosed check and asks, "Did you ever have any luck with the Museum of Modern Art pamphlet by Stevens -- 'The Relations between Poetry and Painting'?" One of the 1952 postcards quotes a passage on the Grolier from Conrad Aiken's "Ushant" and informs Cairnie that he is reviewing the book for the Courant. He also requests copies of Poetry, the new issue of Perspectives and a journal that had a group of poems by James Agee. The final postcard, dated December 3, asks for a copy of the fall Hudson Review, brings up Agee again and writes, "We had a fine time with R. P. Warren a few weeks ago -- but to carry on our conversation, we need the Wursthaus and your good company." With five envelopes for the letters. Very Good. Item #H20018
Price: $200.00