STRAND MARK: (1934-2014)

STRAND MARK: (1934-2014) Canadian-born American poet, United States Poet Laureate 1990-91. Small selection of three A.Ls.S., Mark Strand, each one page, 4to, New York, n.d. (mid-1970s), to Stephen Brook (2) and a writer, Flavio (1). Strand writes concerning various aspects of his work, in part, ´Thank you very much for asking me [to] submit poems for your distinguished series......Well, nothing would please me more than to send you a batch of worthy poems, but I don´t have any. And when I do they must go to Atheneum. And since I am a poet of few poems, the chances of my having an extra book length manuscript are very slim. But, I do have an idea, and that is that I submit either two or three essays on poetry to you. They would make a nice little book´ (to Brook), ´Too bad about the essays, but I understand......As for Mr. Moreira - I have not read his entire book. But I did like what I read. He is a gifted man and a likable one - and, yes, I was interested in translating that book (O Desastrita) but that was when I needed money badly. Now, with a good Brandeis job for next year and the Guggenheim for the year after, it´s no longer the case. Also - I´m tired of translating - and I want to concentrate on my own work´ (to Brook, dated 4th May 1974 in pencil in an unidentified hand), ´I have your book and have read around in it some more and think it should be translated. I´m taking it to Ronald Christ at the Center for Inter American Relations to see if they can get a New York publisher. I´ll offer myself up as the translator - if I get paid enough, and if that is okay with you......Has Paul Engle said anything to you about a South American anthology? About an anthology of Sambista poetry? Probably not. I´m glad to be back in N.Y. I am writing again and translating some Spanish poems - Antonio Machedo. On Wednesday´s I teach at Yale - easy work´ (to Flavio). VG, 3 Stephen Brook (1947- ) English author and wine journalist, a former editor of The Atlantic Monthly Magazine and publisher at Routledge, Kegan & Paul from 1976-80. Paul Engle (1908-1991) American poet, editor, teacher, literary critic, novelist and playwright, a long-time director of the Iowa Writers´ Workshop.