Hall to McNair: November 16, 1979

Erin Rhodes / 1979, Colby College, Donald Hall, Letters Between Poets, Section II /

February 22, 2012

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16 November 1979

Wes McNair
Box 43
North Sutton, NH 03260

Dear Wes,

Lovely to read all about you, in the Argus. In the
same issue, it said that Denise was reading her poems tomorrow
night, the 17th.* I cannot believe that she is reading Saturday
night – especially since the Cochrans have invited us for supper
that night. If you ever know of such things happening in the
future, please do let us know. I think that maybe in our absence
a bulletin has arrived and been overlooked.

We just took a ten-day cruise. Did I tell you that?

Anyway, I am delighted. Which term are you going to
take off next year?

I talked to Fran yesterday. She is not hopeful about
any early moves – so I am really glad that you are sending out
elsewhere. Nothing sinister in this. It is just that another
editor (Ted Solataroff) has gotten away with signing up a good
number of non-money-making books, which tends to mean that the
powers that be will be sour on taking on more, just yet.

The readings are going well. I am having tons and tons
of them. I think it is a combination of Remembering Poets, Kicking
the Leaves, and Writing Well – since a lot of places where I go
seem to be using Writing Well.

Love as ever,

Don

*[Written note on bottom: I telephoned. The 27th — & I will
be in Arizona, damn.
But Jane will come to the reading!]

A note from McNair about this letter: The Argus is the Argus Champion, Newport, New Hampshire’s weekly newspaper, which ran a front-page story about my NEA fellowship. Denise is the poet Denise Levertov, who was to appear at Colby-Sawyer College… Fran is Fran McCullough, of Harper & Row, to whom Don sent my manuscript of poems in progress… Don’s footnote refers to the poetry reading I am scheduled to give on November 27 at Colby-Sawyer. As this section of the letters ends, we are both in high spirits, buoyed by the prospects our writing has provided us.