{"id":2527,"date":"2012-05-10T16:05:21","date_gmt":"2012-05-10T20:05:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-mcnair\/?p=2527"},"modified":"2013-12-18T16:29:48","modified_gmt":"2013-12-18T20:29:48","slug":"mcnair-to-hall-april-2-1984","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-mcnair\/mcnair-to-hall-april-2-1984\/","title":{"rendered":"McNair to Hall: April 2, 1984"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
\"Letter<\/a>\"Letter<\/a>\"Letter<\/a><\/p>\n

[Click image to view]<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

April 2, 1984<\/p>\n

Dear Don,<\/p>\n

I am writing this letter on my way back from
\nthe AWP meeting, which I attended in order to
\nhear poets talk about how to teach poetry
\nwriting (this, in preparation for possible
\ninterviews). The talk was uninformative.
\nPerhaps sometime I could talk to you about
\napproaches to writing classes (my own instruction
\nin the area has been occasional only). I have a
\nsense<\/span> of what I might do, but no convictions
\nderived from long-term, regular teaching. Next
\ntime we get together, I warn you, I may pursue
\nthis!<\/p>\n

However that<\/span> may turn out, I do want to
\nrespond (finally) to your letter, and so I
\nbrought it on the plane with me. About \u201cThe Day\u201d:
\nI still wish you would think about printing
\nin your book something closer to the earlier
\nversion you sent me. (I will not send this
\nletter until I photocopy the earlier poem.) I
\nhave never seen a poem which contains what<\/p>\n

2\/<\/p>\n

this poem contains. For me, it gives a perspective on
\nlife and death–father and son, too–that is
\nentirely new. Am I wrong in surmising that you
\nhave come to believe the idea this poem expresses is
\ninappropriate–that you shouldn\u2019t be asking for
\nyour father\u2019s forgiveness? If I am not<\/span> wrong,
\nI say (for whatever it may be worth) that the poem\u2019s
\ntone–genuine and convincing as it is–makes
\nclear your need to ask that forgiveness–also,
\nthat the asking is what makes the poem so complicated,
\ninteresting and moving.<\/p>\n

I did certainly notice how \u201cintegrated\u201d Another
\nElegy is. It\u2019s wonderfully integrated. From the
\nbeginning, I\u2019ve very much liked that integration.
\nI think it contributes to a movement in the poem
\nthat is rich and profound. So much so that I\u2019ve
\ndecided, after on-and-off readings since your
\nlast letter, that sections 3 and 9 really are
\nOK, in spite of my earlier quibbling. I very
\nmuch like the ideas those sections include: that
\nyou, the writer of the poem, have \u201cambitions\u201d<\/p>\n

2\/<\/p>\n

of your own, and doubts. Also, the sections sound<\/span>
\nlike you–they convey that candor, that deep
\nhonesty, that I find characteristic of the real-
\nlife you.<\/p>\n

I hope to God these comments are helpful.<\/p>\n

One little piece of news: I got a letter
\nfrom Kathleen Anderson, a senior editor at
\nNorton. She has apparently read my book–
\nwrote to congratulate me on the Devins Award,
\nand to say she would like me to send her
\nmy next manuscript.<\/p>\n

I hope all is OK with your mother–
\nand you–and Jane.<\/p>\n

Love,<\/p>\n

Wes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\n

\u00a0Read<\/span> <\/span>The Day I Was Older<\/strong> <\/span><\/a><\/span>(published version)<\/span><\/p>\n\n

\n <\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[Click image to view] April 2, 1984 Dear Don, I am writing this letter on my way back from the AWP meeting, which I attended in order to hear poets talk about how to teach poetry writing (this, in preparation for possible interviews). The talk was uninformative. Perhaps sometime I could talk to you about […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2206,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[60366,35504,77589,42963,293],"tags":[],"builder_content":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-mcnair\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2527"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-mcnair\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-mcnair\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-mcnair\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2206"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-mcnair\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2527"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-mcnair\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2527\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11192,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-mcnair\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2527\/revisions\/11192"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-mcnair\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2527"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-mcnair\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2527"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-mcnair\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2527"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}