McNair to Hall: January 23, 1979

McNair-to-Hall-01-23-1979

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23 January 1979

J.A. Amaryllis Incorporated
Box 71
Potter Place
New Hampshire 03265

Dear J.A.:

What an attractive letterhead you have chosen for your new
agency. And the color of the typeface, plant green, is just the right
thing.

I am of course flattered that Amaryllis Incorporated would
think of representing me as my literary agent. I hope that my poems
will contribute to the diversification which you say will increase
your credibility. Have you considered, by the way, the possibility
of a motto in those words? Credibility through diversification. I
see it as a logo, rising somewhat toward the viewer out of an
amaryllis bulb.

Anyway, about the poems. The ones that are as yet unpublished
are: The Bald Spot; Holding the Goat; When Superman Died in Springfield,
Vermont; Going Back to Elinore Quelch, A Ballad; The Poetic License;
Memory of North Suttob, rather, Sutton; and Country People. A
distinguished group, I’m sure you’ll agree. I think I sent TPL and
and MONS to the Iowa Review and the Ohio Review. These poems were also
sent to Poetry Northwest, along with TBS, CP, HTG and probably
WSDISV. Prairie Schooner saw some of the poems, but I’m not sure which.

Since it is difficult for me to send poems out after one or
two rejections, I am especially pleased to be your client. Needless to say,
I am also pleased that the day has finally come when a literary
agency has contacted me about my poems. After all these years of
obscurity, it is great to be famous.

Sincerely,

Wesley McNair


Read The Bald Spot(published version)

Read Holding the Goat (published version)

Read When Superman Died in Springfield, Vermont (published version)

Read The Poetic License (published version)

Read Memory of North Sutton (published version)

Read Country People (published version)