Wednesday 14 August 2013

John Glassco Letters: Excerpt III

To AL PURDY 
September 18, 1964 
Hugely flattered to hear you stole my book. This is fame. I used to steal a lot of books myself, mostly from libraries: my method was to look at the little card in the back envelope and if it hadn’t been taken out more than twice in the past year I would figure I needed it more than the public.

You’re right about this attraction for decay going too far. One could end up all misty-eyed fondling a farmer’s old rubber boot. Which is why I’m not going to write a poem about a car cemetery, though your images of old fenders, magnetos and smashed headlights are tempting. Why don’t you do it? The backward look on ruined things I have eschewed. I just look at them now, sigh and turn away.
From The Heart Accepts It All: The Selected Letters of John Glassco, edited by Brian Busby.
Previous letters: Robert McAlmonIrving Layton.

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