McNair to Hall, June 1, 1984

Letter from McNair to Hall, June 1, 1984, Page 1, Milne Special Collections and Archives, University of New Hampshire

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June 1, 1984

Dear Don,

Thanks for the call. Wednesday is fine!

I learned today I got the first Honorable Mention
in poetry from the Great Lakes Colleges Association New
Writers Contest (for a first book). Somebody from the
Association says that’s the second place award of
the contest. Anthony Petrosky, I believe the Walt
Whitman Award winner for 1983, also got an
Honorable Mention. Since the first place prize was
won by a book which had not already gotten
an award (US, published by the Cleveland
State University Press), I am wondering if they
prefer to give this prize to an awardless book–?
–A way of consoling myself for not being first.
I want it all!

No letter has come about all this yet
(the announcement is sent to the nominating
publisher first). I was told by Joseph Parisi,
the new editor of Poetry, who was kind enough to
send me a note of congratulations, having
received a news release. More of this

2/

world-stopping news on Wednesday!

Love,

Wes


A note from McNair about this letter: Don has invited me by phone for a Wednesday visit at his farmhouse.