View

"through the eyes of poets"

a publication of THE PRESS OF JAMES A. DECKER

CHARLES HENRI FORD, Editor

BOX 66, STATION O
NEW YORK CITY
360 East 55th Street

Dear Dr Williams:

I trust you have received the first three issues of *View*. A double number (4-5) for Dec.-Jan. is now on press. I am looking forward to Harvey Breit's interview with you for #6...

I am asking various poets, (as for a symposium, ) just how, as guest editor, he would edit an edition of *View*. How would you do it? What "issues" would you like to see discussed? What photos printed? What couplets (on what subjects) started? What countries contacted for news of poets or politics? Interviews with whom and by whom? etc etc. . . I hope you will dash me off a letter with your ideas - the letters will be published in #6. . .

I am editing for Decker an international anthology of the younger poets of about sixteen countries: have you any suggestions to make regarding Spanish or South American poets (living) - or French for that matter - that you think should be included and that you might translate? I am counting on your sending me some translations of the poems of Calas. . . Incidentally, I think his Towards A Third Manifesto the most "inspiring" thing to appear in English-written criticism in a LONG time: don't you? . . . Lauchlin's introduction sounds ominous for the future of "new directions" - I know he had a violent reaction against the surrealist section after accepting it. . . In my opinion the whole prose section, with possible exception of Liben, need never have seen the light of readers' eyes. . . and excepting Durrell, ABC's, and Chainpoems, the poetry is rotten: the man has no sure instinct for what is good and bad - he must always be told by someone - what happy accident made him pick you out, for one?

When you are in New York, please telephone me at PLaza 3 7625 - The Litchew and I have a place together and would like so much to see you. I notice you are reading Thursday 10 apr at the YMHA - my sister is expecting a baby in March and HOPES you'll drop in at her apt for tea on 10 apr - after which will you have a drink and a bite chez moi and then we'll go on to the reading? Let me know if this plan is more or less possible.

Best ever,

VIA CANDIDO GALLI 12

FRASCATI (ROMA)

26 Jan. 1955

Dear Doc:

David McDowell sent me your *Selected Essays* and the book has given me great pleasure. It's a kind of monument to a certain period and milieu. The same old magic: youvemade something exist by naming it.

Tchelitchew - who sends warmest regards - was touched at seeing the book on him reprinted. Of course I was delighted to see The Garden of Disorder preface - which means you didn't object so much to the re-writing! (do you still believe that any of those words are not yours?)

Except for a *journal intime*, which I've been keeping since the demise of *View*, I've stopped writing, as of last year. I guess I've been tapering off for some time. I just wont go on, with no publisher. (A year ago, Laughlin saw *book-ms* of mine, poems in prose, promised to do something about it, didn't.)

But I haven't lost touch with poetry. I'm drawing; painting in gouache; taking photographs (what I call No-Purpose photographs) for what may turn out to be a book of Italian images. And a 16-mm movie camera has just been delivered to me - my first film may be on the sheriffs of the Alban Hills. Then I want to do one on Tchelitchew. And: why not one on you, when I return to the States? (A notable one on André Gide proves that a writer is as good a subject for a film as a painter, depending on the cinematographer!)

All my very best for 1955 and always -

Yours,

Charles Henri Ford

Allen Tate is making a selection from my three books for a ms-volume of *Selected Poems* - but there's no publisher for it yet; Laughlin doesn't even answer my letters.