Oh the attic! Oh my attic!! And, since I am no longer physically capable of getting up there to sort books, papers or anything, Oh my kind helpers who found the following letters, and more, from Michael Schmidt to Jon Silkin, and to me. The first to Jon Silkin might now seem strange and unusual – they later fell out for sad, difficult and lasting reasons – but here the tone is friendly and supportive. The letter to Jon Silkin refers to books that I reviewed in Stand, Vol. 14, No. 3, 1973. That issue also contained work by Norman MacCaig, Ken Smith, Marilyn Hacker, B.S. Johnson, Judith Wainwright and two pieces by Terry Eagleton. The Carcanet titles reviewed show the press’s capacity to be involved with poetry and poets of an astonishing range.

The number of books I had to consider in just one review was demanding. And much, including Peter Jones’s Penguin Imagist Poetry, I found inspiring. The books, PNR, Stand and the intimate vital links between writing and editing are with me still, fifty years later.

These letters were in normal typescript from that date. I have reproduced the layout and fonts from 1973.  


Letter from Michael Schmidt to Jon Silkin

23. vi.73

Dear Jon

I just now ‘by chance’ (re-reading the latest Stand) saw Jon Glover’s excellent piece on Peter’s Imagist book and our two HD books. May I please have a voucher copy of the magazine for our files, since it is a special Carcanet Issue ...