| July 10, 1977
Dear Don –
Thanks for agreeing to be one of the R. Porter
lecturers. I don’t think a title is necessary. Thank you
especially for your insistence on doing the thing gratis.
Such generosity is like you, but I’m still surprised
and touched. There are three other lecturers: Malcolm
Cochran (Carl’s son), who will talk about his ceramic
sculpture titled “Rufus Porter” … October 6; Peter Benes,
who will speak on early American sandstone iconography…
March 16; and Betsy Tumis, to lecture about a
book she is doing on Hal Chase, the baseball great
and one of the fixers of the World Series, 1919.
Yes, I did know about the Christ incident.
Shortly after it happened, I received a call from Owen
Lee of the Bureau of Educational and Culture Affairs
in the State Dep’t. Lee explained that the NY Times
article was “substantially correct” but asked me
to note that there was no trouble in Chile for Christ –
that the trouble was all in the U.S. According
2/
to reports made to the BECA by both Christ and Loren
Davidson (a recent Fulbrighter at The Catholic University),
professors in Chile are free to teach, congregate and travel
as they please. I just received a call from Davidson during
which he underscored the above – will soon get a call
from Christ himself (Owen Lee is setting up the latter).
My own position in all this is the same as
that of The BECA’s – ie, that the Fulbright – Hays
exchanges are “people–to–people” in nature, not
gov’t–to–gov’t. We have Fulbrighters in most of the
military–run gov’ts of South America (only 2
S. Am. Countries have democracies), and Fulbrighters in
other countries which violate Carter’s human rights
credo (Haiti? Russia?). Should Fulbrights
become politicized, surely all of these folks, and
many others as well, would all be asked to return home.
But I’ve probably been on this subject with you
before… Thanks for your concern in all this.
Incidentally, I’m hoping most fervently that
3/
I can get a copy of Bly’s Neruda translations
before I leave. (I’ll return yours soon.) As Jane
may have told you, I was to do some translations
by contemporary Chilean poets (with help from
perhaps one of the teachers at the University) and
would like to have examples of good translations
nearby…or the N. Tarn book would be nice, if I can find it.
I will, of course, keep you in touch with what
I’m doing in Chile. Needless to say, I hope to
return with a finished book…capped off, as Jane’s
probably will be, with translations. I am high about
the way in which the book might extend its
“Americanness” with poems from S. Am.
I hope Jane showed you the LAST version
of my “Father” poem. If she did, I also hope you
liked it. Your “Skeleton in Armor” poem reminds me somewhat
of certain poems I’ve done of elementary school. Its
that why you sent it? I like it, but am still
so swept up in “Flies”, nothing else answers half
4/
as well. God, what a poem! I’m taking it with me
to Chile, along with The Alligator Bride. And do
you happen to have a spare copy of A Roof of Tiger Lilies?
I think that’s as good a book as you’ve ever done, and
I’d like to have it along with me, too.
But if you don’t OK. It’s probably my
compulsion that I have to have everything in my
suitcases before I go.
Thanks again for agreeing to “lecture” –
so inexpensively. I’m only sorry I won’t get
to hear you.
yrs,
Wes |
