Letter from Louise Kertesz to Muriel Rukeyser

An original, two page letter, dated June 27th, 1977. From Louise Kertesz to Muriel Rukeyser. Louise had written Rukeyser to send “The Chronology of Important Dates” that she would like to verify with Rukeyser the next time they meet. Louise had also sent her many questions on sheets enclosed in the envelope. In her “Chronology of Important Dates’, Louise would like to include the date of any of Rukeyser’s awards, significant changes in residence, or Rukeyser’s work with organizations such as the Writers’ and Teachers’ Collaborative. Louise had also found Denise Levertov’s poem dedicated to Rukeyser. Louise has also been reading Levertov’s work Sorrow Dance, and had noted the “unknown”, the “waking” and the “transformation”, and also the attempt to see “Paradise in the dust”. In Levertov’s work, there were also focuses on the sacred body and anti-war emotions. Levertov's poems shared the spirit and vocabulary of Muriel’s. Louise asks Muriel if she could get in touch with Levertov and find out whether or not Levertov would be receptive if Louise wrote Levertov about her poetry. If so, Louise asks Rukeyser if she could give her an address. Louise had also read Gary Snyder, and his work Earth House Hold and Turtle Island. Snyder is associated with the ‘Beat’ poets, and he uses Buddhist terms, but his vision of the world as one living creature, or “the body of the soul”, and of “singing/the proof/the proof of the power within” is another indication to Louise that what the “Beats” started singing in the late Fifties had already appeared in Rukeyser’s poetry in the 30’s. Louise hopes Muriel will talk with her about this when they meet. Rukeyser’s letter had arrived the same day, which listed the names of people who she knew in San Francisco. Louise thanks her for her letter, and for writing to Bernard Perry. Louise also says that Rukeyser’s statement for the Copernicus award was wonderful. As for Rukeyser’s question, which was, “Do you want to ask another press?”, Louise replies that she has no experience in these matters, so she is trying to hear from Indiana after sending them an impatient letter, trying to contact a literary agent and have him handle the manuscript if he wants to (the same literary agent had plated two books on film for a friend of hers), and finally, waiting for Rukeyser to talk to McGraw-Hill about her manuscript, as Rukeyser said she might do. Louise will follow the path that is available. If Rukeyser could suggest another press or agent, Louise would look into those as well. Since Indiana is taking so long and does not seem to care very much, Louise feels justified in choosing another press if she can, even before Indiana answers. So if an agent takes Louise on, she will let him do his work. Louise ends the letter by saying that she will write again in a few days with more questions for Rukeyser and her meeting in July. Louise hopes Muriel continues to do well. There is a sentence of handwriting on page two of the letter.