[Rarebooks] FS: Outstanding Charles Olson letter on his first book, Melville, T.S. Eliot, and Ezra Pound

[Charles Agvent]

OLSON, Charles AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED (ALS) TO RONALD DUNCAN REGARDING 
THE IMPENDING PUBLICATION OF HIS FIRST BOOK
New York 8 April 1946. Exceptional two-page Autograph Letter of @435 
words on two separate sheets completely in the hand of and SIGNED by 
Charles Olson to poet, editor, and librettist Ronald Duncan, a literary 
acquaintance of T. S. Eliot and Ezra Pound. In part: "I have had [T.S.] 
Eliot's regrets on 'our' mss, as you are gracious to call it. His letter 
crossed me from [Ezra] Pound urging him to publish. Eliot said he 
thought it ought to be published, but in America first. It looks now as 
though it will be. Reynal & Hitchcock plan to take it, with changes, and 
expansions in the second half.... The fact is England has always been 
more hospitable to Melville, from his own books on.... It would be luck 
if Eliot would consider.... Pound said: Duncan will help. Will you 
please--and take my thanks? I am asking Eliot, if the new plan doesn't 
take, to let you have the mss. Do with it what you think best. It may 
well be that Eliot's doubts of an English audience may obtain for others 
as well. I should like to think not. But you are boss. I don't think 
when I wrote you last, I had read the Pisan Cantos. They are 
beautiful,and Pound last summer, after the torture of the 'Gorilla 
Cage,' had more power over his line than ever. He is fretting at 
Laughlin for not getting his Confucius out and not pushing the Cantos 
more, but he is generally in better spirits, has now the privilege of 
games[?] in the prison yard, and reads with ease." SIGNED "Charles 
Olson." Magnificent content. Normal creases from folding. Near Fine and 
a superb letter!  $7500
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