UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
IOWA CITY

ENGLISH

Dec.5, 1944

Dear Red:

I hope the rumor I have heard that
your son was killed in Italy was not true.
If it was true, I'm very sorry. The death
of any one in this insanity makes those of
us not yet involved feel simple shame. It
seems that it takes such vast good (and
loss of good) to beat down such enormous evil.
But I know that knowledge is no compensation.

Enclosed is a small booklet I had
made to give to friends. The verse is about
my daughter, the drawing of her was made by
an old friend of Grant Wood's at our farm
at Stone City this summer, and the type and
printing (which I think are handsome) are by
a man with a small print shop down at
Muscatine on the Mississippi. The latter
lives by printing hardware store leaflets and
ads for clamshells, but he has a superb
sense of book design. I think the title page
is as good as anybody could want.

I still hope you get through Stone
City sometime. Every summer we are there, and
every summer you would be welcome.

A second daughter was born a week
ago. So we flourish. I am not going to Eng-
land as planned, and have no idea of getting
to New York, but should it happen I'll let you
know, if I still may.

UNIVERSITY OF IOWA

IOWA CITY

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

Dec.26,1945

Dear Red:

The enclosed isn't really intended
as anything seasonal. This just seemed a
useful time to send the sonnets around. They
come to you with the warmest wishes, and the
hope they don't sound too rustic. But then,
you've got Central Park, and I'm told they
now include a cow among their animal exhibits
for the benefit of the big city kids. Not
that I count you as one of them.

I am still hoping you will find it
possible to get out to Stone City this summer.
We shall be there, and even expect to get a new
pump on the well. (The trouble with poetry is
that it doesn't buy pumps for wells). We will
have a big room for you with a work table in
case you want to be alone all day.

The end of February I will be in New
York and shall hope to find you still there
and with a minute or two to spare. My first
trip to N.Y. in three years and I shall be
absolutely intimidated by all that man-swarm,
as Wolfe called it.

Or will you be coming out this way
before summer?

Paul

I promise not

to send you any more sonnets
for a long time.

UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
IOWA CITY

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

Dec.21,1946

Dear Red:

I'm going to be in New York the week of Feb.9-15 and I'm hoping you'll be there too. I'm not sure where you are at the moment, even, but in this matter of meetings-in-the-future I've found prayer as much use as anything.

The enclosed may seem a little unreal to you when the great word of the moment is atomic. But all those atoms stir up into a man, and that's as explosive a substance as the world needs. Anyway, the warmest greetings from the corn country.

Paul Engle