Mason, Ellsworth, 1917-2013

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"...I report that I was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for the forwarding of the note-yet completed work on language...and my long-planned book on the 'Failure' of Poetry..."

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"The procedure you outlined in your letter, of my sending you the item in question on approval, after your being informed of the asking price, and, then, calling for sight of it, is one of which I have never before had experience."

Scope and Contents "I have done some consulting as to the 'asking-price' for the marked copy of the page-proofs of The Telling, and I was given a range though just to the buyer and myself..."...."...I am addressing to you, before any other, a question as to some biliographical matters information on which I need in preparation for an article by myself treating of certain things bibliographical. I have been left vague in recollection as to whether you possess copies of the privately...

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"I am writing as to the first set of page-proofs of The Telling. This is red-ink marked by the editorial supervisor of production, with whom I worked closely, and by myself. But we had worked so much with the galleys that there are only minor corrections registered in the page-proofs. Also, the core-piece of The Telling became unalterably final for me in its magazine-published form--I could not, would not, touch anything - except in correction of a printer's mistake."

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"I have a young friend, a lovely girl, ten years old, who has had open-heart surgery at a special establishment for children at the University of Florida in Gainesville..."

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"I thank you for the instructions as to the page proofs of The Telling. I shall probably get these into the mails to-morrow."

Scope and Contents "I have a note in my bibliographical material as to a listing of James Moran's "The Seizin press of Laura Riding and Robert Graves", supplied me by someone:"...."'Modernist Poetry & The Plain Reader's Rights'...I thought you might recognize an item-identity, here, and be able also to advise as to what, and where, at this university, to inquire."...."Mr Kirkham...has written an article on me, my work for Chelsea, a portion of which draws...

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"I feel concern over the lack of word from you. I sent the page-proofs item to you, per our understanding, on July 20th. (It was insured). By August 2nd no word of acknowledgement had come from you."

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"I am pleased about your explicitness as to the proof: I am sending you the carbon typescript with my work connections embraced in it. This is the basis of the passage at the close of the Extracts from later portion of the book."

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Typewritten letter:

"I am interested in knowing what kind of bibliographical principle it is that lists an article concerning Laura Riding and Robert Graves under Robert Graves."

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"I need to tell you, in this connection, that Michael Kirkham has astonished me by his announcing that Madelaine Vera was a pseudonym of mine. He has had no authority for making such a statement."

Scope and Contents "The Madeline Vera matter is not for me on the plane of agitation of mine, and its entitlement to respect. We have here a liberty taken by Mr. Kirkham for which he has had no authority from me. I have never made public identification of myself as M.V. Mr. Kirkham has had sufficient acquaintance with me, by correspondence and by personal visit, for awareness of of my my view of the outrage committed by Messrs, Higginson and Graves in their making themselves authorities as to the...

Scope and Contents "I must try to impose upon you that we have a case of bibliographic fraud: that is authority. Robert Graves is no authority for ... of authority to me or anything via Mr. Higginson. The strength of my feelings is not the issue."...."I cannot be with you at all in your solicited in M. K's authorial perogatives - as with your lack of conscience, amidst so much editorial circumstances as to what you are here with respect to a bibliographical desecration by Higginson and...