Probably you know that Jim Wright died
yesterday morning. He had cancer, and would
only have suffered terribly for a few months,
if the cancer had taken its predicted course.
Pneumonia cut him off. I was with him last
Saturday, and it was terrible. I was with him
two weeks before also. Jim knew he was going
to die, when I saw him Saturday. Sometime I
will tell you about it. It is difficult to
talk about.
I’m terribly pleased that you like String
so much, and that it led you back to the poems
and that they held up too. Thank you so much
for telling me! I saw Diane yesterday and she
told me about reading String.
I need these things! Don’t we all.
I will be putting “Hair on Television”
to good use, I hope.
Best as ever,
Don
Editorial note about this letter: Jim Wright is the poet James Wright, with whom Don had a lifelong friendship, and whose work was important to both of us.
