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An original, typewritten letter, dated April 4th, 1976. The letter is from Louise Kertesz to Muriel Rukeyser. Louise begins the letter by saying that she was happy to hear Rukeyser read her poems in Worcester, and to see an audience respond to the poems like she did. She was moved by her poems, and was sad that she had to leave at 5 o'clock.. Louise had spent the day there, expecting that Rukeyser would be there in the morning, but had to leave early since her family expected her home at 7 pm for bedtime. Louise asks Rukeyser to tell her when she will read the poems again, so she can plan ahead of time to be ether. Louise then says that her family is planning to spend her vacation, which will last 4 to 5 days, with the kids and her mother in New York City in June. Louise’s mother was an immigrant, and in the 1920’a, she was married on the Taormina docked in N.Y., and she has always loved visiting the standardards, and the Statue of LIberty. If Rukeyser will be reading her poems in New York, Louise wants to be there. Louise will phone Rukeyser before they come to see whether or not Rukeyser can spare them some time. It would give Louise and Chris, her husband, great pleasure if they could take her to dinner. Louise will enclose questions with this letter. Louise states that Muriel was very kind to suggest taped replies. If Rukeyser would prefer, they can wait until a meeting in mid -une. Louise then thanks Rukeyser for her warm encouragement, and that she is very deeply committed to her work. Louise will be teaching Moby Dick for the next several weeks, but she is teaching Rukeyser’s works Breaking Open and The Speed of Darkness in another class. Louise ends the letter by saying that she is hoping that Rukeyser is doing well, and that she looked wonderful yesterday, and hopes that she had a good spring. Incomplete copy of letter on the back of the sheet.
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An original, typewritten copy of a letter , dated July 12th 1976. The letter is from Louise Kertesz to Muriel Rukeyser. Louise begins the letter by saying that she hopes that Rukeyser had a good trip to California. Louise watched the Tall Ships on July 4th and was thinking about what a good view Muriel Rukeyser would have from Westbeth. Louise hopes that Muriel’s trip compensated for not being in her grandstand seat. Louise had attached the second part of Chapter 2 of her book in the envelope, with the footnotes and the first part of Chapter 3. Chapter 3 will deal with Rukeyser’s books from the 40’s. Louise had given Rukeyser the first part of Chapter 2 in rough copy,and she is leaving it that way for the time being. Louise palms to get Chapter 3 and a good part of Chapter 4 done that summer. As Louise’s manuscript grows, she sees that it needs an overhaul for coherence. Before that time, Louise hopes to talk to Rukeyser again and to get relevant biographical details. She is also trying to get Chapter 1 published in a shortened version. In Mid August, Louise and her family are moving to 17 Payson Avenue in Easthampton, Massachusetts, about 4 miles away. Louise has accepted a position on the faculty at the school that she taught at recently. It is a boarding school, and she won't have to prepare meals, so she is counting on a lot of extra time to work on her book. In any case, she will also work on the book on Spring vacations. Sara’s lump seems to be resolving itself according to the surgeons, and now they are expecting it to just go away. Louise ends the letter by sending Rukeyser her best wishes,and she hopes that she is well. A postscript says that the second part of the letter consists of questions.
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Original handwritten letter, dated August 25th, 1976. The letter is from Louise Kertesz to Muriel Rukeyser. Louise begins the letter by saying that she was happy to hear from Rukeyser and receive her letter with reviews for Body of Waking. Louise also thanks Rukeyser for her fond wishes for her and her family, and that they are almost settled in their new home,which they like. Louise is sending Rukeyser Chapter 3. Part 2 of her book under separate cover, Chapter 4, and the beginning of Chapter 5. Louise has not finished totally with Waterlily Fire, since there are several reviews she has not obtained. Louise will also have to stop working for a while, in order to prepare for her classes. Muriel had asked Louise on the phone if the manuscript was a thesis, which leads Louise to think that it might sound like one. Louise will work on it so it won't sound like a thesis. Louise had written a thesis on Thoreau and Mythology some years ago, since she has a Ph.D. in English from the UNiversity of Illinois, and she will work on the style of the manuscript when she begins to revise for coherence. Louise is sending Rukeyser a few more questions, which will be included in the envelope of this letter. Louise would like to see Rukeyser again, perhaps during Christmas vacation. Louise will continue writing while she can, beginning with The Orgy. The high point of her fall will be writing about The Gates. Louis tates that she is surely among the people who are eager to see the new poems. The letter is on the back of what looks like an essay on the other side.
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An original (?) typewritten letter, dated September 16th, 1976. The letter is from Louise Kertesz to Muriel Rukeyser. Louise begins the letter by saying that she hurried to answer Rukeyser’s letter sent on September 11th. Louise confirms that all passages in her manuscript about Rukeyser’s son and his birth will be sent to him, whenever Ruleyser wished, and that none of the passages will be published without his consent. Louise thanks Rukeyser for answering her questions. Louise would like to discuss some of them further, to take up the ones that she sent Rukeyser at the beginning of the summer, and to talk with her about the manuscript. Louise asks when Rukeyser would prefer for Louise to come and see her. Her Christmas vacation is December 18th to January 6th. Her Thanksgiving recess is November 24th to November 28th. Louise has a long weekend from Saturday evening, October 16th to Monday evening on October 18th, or she could come to see Muriel on any Saturday or Sunday. Louise’;s preference is Christmastime, only because she will have several days without class preparations then, and so she would have time to consider the manuscript and the questions further before meeting with Rukeyser. However, Louise could come before Christmas if Rukeyser wishes. Rukeyser only has to let Louise know and she will make plans. Some sections of the letter are crossed out, with additional writing included.
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Original typewritten letter, dated June 17th, 1977. The letter is from Louise Kertesz to Muriel Rukeyser. Louise hopes Rukeyser is feeling well, and tells her that she mailed her a few pages on The Traces of Thomas Harlot, and that she is writing now to ask a few questions about those pages. Indiana University Press, who had Louise’s manuscript since early February, told Louise that the editor in charge went on vacation, and that the manuscript is in the hands of two or more experts. Louise will let Rukeyser know if she hears anything from them. Louise is now working on a conclusion to the manuscript which involves reading the critic on the so-called “new poetry” of postmodernism”, the particular sensibility which is unlike that of “modernism”. The more Louise reads, the more she sees that Rukeyser was writing this ”new poetry” even in her first volumes. When critics were complaining in the Forties that Rukeyser wasn’t ironic, they were measuring her works by standards that she found unsatisfactory even before Olson, Duncan, and Snyder, who are poets spoken of as the first “postmoderns” Louise had said something like that already, but she thinks she would like to close with a more pointed discussion of these matters, using critical terms which are now being applied. Letter is on the same page as a course selection sheet for a college.
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Original typewritten letter, dated June 24th, 1977. The letter is from Louise Kertesz to Muriel Rukeyser. Louise thanks Rukeyser for their long conversation yesterday, and that she is very eager to see her in person. Louise is happy that Muriel sounded so well and strong, and that Louise doesn't want to overstay her welcome when they meet. Louise plans to take the bus on July 11th, arriving at Fort Authority a little before noon. Louise will come right over. She can stay until 5, which is when she will have to go to Penn Station to commute to New Jersey, where she will be staying with friends until the following morning, arriving at Rukeyser’s at about 9 and staying again until 5. During the second day, Louise would like to examine the materials that they have discussed which she will detail later in the letter. If it would be desirable, Louise is planning to see her again on the third day, as Rukeyser suggested. Louise’s family is prepared to bear her absence for a fourth day if she and Muriel could use the time. Yesterday, Louise sent Susan Hernandez at Indiana University Press her pages on Rukeyser’s three latest books of poetry and pages about Harlot. Louise also sent the press a letter which asked if they would give her a definite answer soon so she can look for another publisher if she has to. Louise would appreciate it if Rukeyser could call her friend at Indiana University Press. The reason that Indiana University Press was on the top of the list of publishers is that John Gallman, the director, worte Louise many months ago after reading the first chapter of Louise’s book, saying, “Place Indiana at the top of your list of interested publishers”. He also invited Louise to send the manuscript in January. In case she needs it, Louise asks if Rukeyser can give her a letter that she can use with other publishers, and if Rukeyser can have the letter ready by the time Louise meets with her in July. In the next few days, Louise will prepare and send Rukeyser a chronology of her life that she assembled from information that Rukeyser had given her and from printed information from various sources. When Louise and Rukeyser meet,Louise would like to verify that chronology and expand it if necessary. Louise will also send her additional questions that she hopes Rukeyser can answer when they next meet. If Rukeyser has no objections, Louise would like to bring a tape recorder with her which she will use with Rukeyser’s permission when it seems appropriate. As for the material that Rukeyser offered to let Louise see, Louise says it would be best to look at them in her apartment, but Rukeyser can also arrange for the library to have them available on Tuesday the 12th. The letter cuts off here, and no information about what Louise wanted to see is given. It is highly probable that the letter went on for another page
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Photocopy of a typewritten letter, dated June 24th, 1979. The letter is from Louise Kertesz to Muriel Rukeyser. Louise begins the letter by saying that she enjoyed talking to Rukeyser again, and that she had missed that. Last night, Louise had remembered a letter that Rukeyser sent her long ago. Louise is enclosing it in the envelope to remind Rukeyser about it. Louise had forgotten about it and her reply because Louise had decided some time ago to give no details in the manuscript about the birth of Rukeyser’s son that were not given in the poems. Louise did not mention his father’s name as his father. His name was only mentioned in the list of people in California that Rukeyser knew. Louise enclosed xeroxes of the galleys on which Muriel’s son’s birth is mentioned. Rukeyser should remember that she had seen the material before in the manuscript. Rukeyser had given the statement that the father “did not recognize the family”. If Rukeyser still wants that material. Louise would be glad to offer it. Louise hopes that Rukeyser’s son will not find that objectionable because it would be hard to alter it at this point. Louise sent the information to Rukeyser now to honor her agreement and to allay any anxiety on anyone’s part about what will appear in Louise’s book. Simply put, nothing will appear in Louise’s book that was not said in Rukeyser’s poetry. Louise ends the letter by saying that she hopes that Muriel has a good visit in California and that the birth of another grandchild will bring her great joy.
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An original typewritten letter dated September 11th, 1979. The letter is from Louise Kertesz to Muriel Rukeyser. Louise begins the letter by saying that it was good to talk with Rukeyser last night. Louise had written to her editor, Marie Blanchard, at LSU Press, and Louise had requested that they send Rukeyser a copy of the page proof when it is available. Louise is waiting for the review that Rukeyser spoke of on the phone. Louise was pleased to see the Thomas Lask review in the Times. Louise thinks that Lask can use her book for better reading in some of the poems, such as “Pouring the Milk Away”, which he did not read in the context of all of Rukeyser’s work. Lask stated that “Every experience has to be significant”, while Kenneth Rexroth argues that the poems show “...a philosophy of life which comes out of [your] own flesh and bones”. Louise states that “...with your history and response to the times, every experience is significant, is political and personal. Louise does want her book to be useful to Rukeyser’s readers, and Louise has been encouraged by Eberhart’s comments that it will be. Louise informs Rukeyser that Michael True of Assumption is receiving a copy of the page proof,and he says he will try to place a review in The Chronicle of Higher Education. Margaret Weeks at The Chronicle had also been informed by the Press of True’s interest in a follow-up of hsi review of Rukeyser’s Collected Poems. Some time ago, Louise and the Press had asked Jane Cooper if she would receive the page proofs in order to review the book. Louise received no response from her. Louise had also contacted Grace Schulman and William Meredith, offering page proofs for advance comment. Louise does not know if they responded. Denise Levertov also declined a request for advanced comment. Hayden Carruth will be getting a copy of the book for a review. If there is anyone else that Rukeyser would recommend for a review, Louise will contact tahem. Louise ends the letter by saying that she hopes that Rukeyser is well, and she hopes that she will be pleased with the book when she sees it..
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An original, typewritten letter dated October 24th, 1979. The letter is from Louise Kertesz to Muriel Rukeyser. Louise begins the letter by saying that she had phoned Rukeyser earlier today, but she was told that Rukeyser was out of town. Louise is hoping that Rukeyser is doing well. Louise asks Rukeyser if she has received the page proofs. The proofs were in such poor shape that Louise will be receiving corrected page proofs and Louise is to be the final proofreader, at her request. The press went with electronic composition for her book, which is their first experience with computer set type, and they have had many problems. The galleys were full of errors. Louise had received the reviews that Rukeyser had sent her a few weeks ago, and she wondered how she could answer them, since Louise’s book is an answer to all of these reviews. Louise was particularly shocked at William Prichard’s review in The Hudson Review, and Louise was amazed again at the “...shallowness, the stupidity I encounter from time to time in reading past reviews of your books”. There is a rich vein of that running in “contemporary criticism” Louise then states that in B.R. Cohen’s review in the Buffalo Newspaper she (?) didn't read attentively, and seems to have paraphrased several reviews of Rukeyser's books, reviews they might have read while they were researching these series of articles. One review they may have referenced is Thomas Stumpf’s review of Breaking Open in the Carolina Quarterly. Louise sent copies of these reviews to Michael True who said he would try to place a review in The Chronicle of Higher Education. True will see that the reviews that Rukeyser sent Louise are like several others that are present in Louise’s book. Louise hopes that True will reference these reviews in his review of Louise’s book. Louise is mailing to Rukeyser at her 50thy St. address a copy of Moving to Detroit. There is a shorter version at 90 pages. Louise is now querying publishers, with a sampling of the poems. Louisiana didn't want the manuscript,saying only that it was too long. It took them 5 and a half months for them to say that. Perhaps they didn't want to offend Louise, but Louise is sure that Rukeyser will be more candid. She is looking forward to Rukeyser’s response, when she gets time to read it. Louise ends the letter by saying that she is thinking of Rukeyser, and she hopes that all is well.
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Original letter, dated February 17th, 1978 , paper clipped to a preface to a book (Possibly Rukeyser’s Collected Poems?) written by Muriel Rukeyser. The letter before the included preface is from Louise Kertesz to Muriel Rukeyser. Louise begins the letter by thanking Muriel for the Preface to the book. Louise then states that the Preface was “...beautiful and so recognizably yours”. And that it speaks directly to Rukeyser’s “one reader”, to Louise and to each person who will hold Rukeyser’s book.. Louise then states that the fact that Muriel did not cut the poems, and that “...retaining for us the large castings forth in their original bold, hopeful gestures—that is also recognizably you”. Louise thanks Rukeyser for her truthfulness to “how this formed” for you which will encourage many to cast forth, which has encouraged me and put heart into her imagining. As Louise read the Preface over and over, she felt like “my lifetimes” was not a typo, and that Muriel Rukeyser creates the creative. Louise ends the letter by saying that knowing Rukeyser’s poems is one of the greatest gifts of her life. There is a postscript to the letter that asks whether or not Rukeyser is still coming to Mount Holyoke College in the Spring.
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A typewritten letter, dated November 15th, 1980. From Louise Kertesz to Richard Eberhart. Louise thanks Eberhart for sending her the copy of her book, since the cost of copies is steep and people are always asking if she has an extra copy. Louise appreciates Eberhart’s good words about her book, and thanks him for sending it to Robert Pinsky. Kertesz states that the book will be in libraries, and that is what’s important. Louise says that she wished she could be there during Eberhart;s award ceremony at the Hotel Pierre, and that she remembers Eberhart made way for Muriel. She hopes Eberhart will be coming her way before long, since Chris and she had a wonderful time in Cranbrook. The DIA is bringing in poets for a series in 1980-1981, and Louise would be glad if Eberhart appeared in that series. Louise says that she is teaching Freshman English part-time at Wayne State University in Detroit, and that she and her husband moved to downtown Detroit in September, and that they find it “...a very stimulating city whose ‘renaissance’ we are counting on.” Louise describes her job as honest and basic, like carpentry or something utterly useful like that. Louise states she wouldn't mind if the school asked her to stay a while, (or forever) and teach poetry or higher matters, but Michigan’s economy is doing poorly, and President Bonner announced budget cuts for the University, and that may mean the elimination of Louise’s job. Louise sent Eberhart a copy of one of her poems that appeared in a literary magazine. If Louise loses her job, there is always poetry ,which is “...nourishing in its way, as I needn't tell you.” If Louise is cast out of academia, perhaps work in the Motor City would be good for her muse, but Joyce Carol Oates has “mined this vein.”’ Louise gives Eberhart her best wishes.
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The ninth typewritten letter, dated September 27th, 1979, from Louise Kertesz to Robert T. Summer. Louise thanks Summer for his letter on September 11th. Louise is sorry to hear that Susan Highleyman is no longer at LSU Press. Louise received a copy of the page proofs today, and she wants to make sure a copy was sent to Michael True.