West Hackhurst, Abinger Hammer, Dorking. - Would like to find out something about S.G. McDonald, an Australian surgeon, regarding a possible operation [for prostate trouble]. Has heard pessimistic accounts of life expectancy after the operation. Enjoyed his visit, particularly seeing the Archibalds [George and Dorothy?] and their son Christopher. Bessie's niece's book has arrived: will mention it to [William] Plomer.
Most sent on by Durrant's Press Cuttings, St Andrew's House, 32-34 Holborn Viaduct, E.C.1 and 3 St Andrew Street, Holborn Circus, E.C.1.
1) from the "Dublin Evening Mail", 28 Apr 1932.
2) from "The Listener", 4 May 1932, "Overhauling Pegasus"; also includes discussion of collections by William Plomer and Alan Mulgan.
3) from the "Northern Echo", 4 May 1932, "New Verse"; also includes discussion of collections by Plomer, Sir Leo Chiozza Money, and Dorothy Wellesley
4) from the "Spectator", 14 May 1932, "Poetry-Lovers, Prosody and Poetry", by F. R. Leavis; also discusses collections by Ann Page, Mulgan, Anna de Bary, Wellesley, William Jeffrey, A[braham] Abrahams, Julian Huxley and Plomer
5) from "Country Life", 14 May 1932, by V. H. Friedlaender; also discusses collections by John Lehmann and Plomer, and the Hogarth Press's anthology "New Signatures"
6) from the "Aberdeen Press and Journal", 18 May 1932
7) from the "Bedfordshire Times", 24 May 1932, "A Book for the Poet-Technician"
8) from "Granta", 27 May 1932, "Tomes of Pomes"; also discusses collections by Plomer and Philip Henderson.
9) from the "London Mercury, June 1932, by Alan Pryce-Jones; also discusses collection by Henderson
10) from "Life and Letters", June 1932, by Austin Clarke; also discusses works by A.E. [George William Russell], Thomas Sturge Moore, "New Signatures", Huxley, Plomer, and Sherard Vines's anthology "Whips and Scorpions"
11) from the "Manchester Guardian", 1 Jun 1932, "Mr. Trevelyan's Verse".
12) from the "Scotsman". 1 Jun 1932;, "New Verse Forms" also discusses works by Plomer, Dorothy Matthews, Abrahams, Chiozza Money, and Horace Horsnell
13) from the "Oxford Magazine", 2 June 1932, "Poetry and Tradition".
14) from the "Scots Observer", 9 June 1932; also includes discussions of works by Mulgan, Rosamond Langbridge and Lorna de' Lucchi
15) from the "Buxton Advertiser", 2 July 1932
16) from the "Times Literary Supplement", 14 July 1932; also another copy, not sent by Durrnants
17) from the "Glasgow Herald", 20 July 1932 "On a Classical Model"
18) from the "New Statesman and Nation", 3 Sept 1932, "Some Poets"; also involves discussion of works by Laurence Whistler, George Villiers, Arthur Legge, Charles Davies, de' Lucchi, Geoffrey Johnson, Norah Nisbet and Mulgan.
19) from the "Sunday Times", 9 Oct 1932, by Dilys Powel, "Scholars and Poets"; also discusses works by Geoffrey Scott, Whistler, Davies, Geoffrey Lapage, Villiers, and Eden Phillpotts
20) "Rhythm and Rhyme. Mr R. C. Trevelyan's Notes on Metre"; perhaps from the "Birmingham Daily Mail" of 28 Apr 1932, as there is a spare Durrant's label which has become detached from its review
21) from the "Observer", 6 Nov 1932, "New Poetry", by Humbert Wolfe. Not sent by Durrants; also discussion of works by Clifford Bax. W. H. Davies, Gordon Bottomley, Edmund Blunden, Wilfrid Gibson, and Richard Church
22) from the "Japan Chronicle", 15 July 1932, "Poets of a Transitional Period"; also discusses works by Plomer, Easdale, Lehmann, C. Day Leis. and "New Signatures"
23) from "The Bookman", Sept 1932, "The ''Georgian Poets', or Twenty Years After", by Wilfrid Gibson. Not a review of "Rimeless Numbers", but a discussion of Edward Marsh's anthologies
West Melville, Northam, Devon. - Very pleased to get Bob's book of poems and to find some he did not know; good to have the ones he does know together, especially 'in this new form so easily adapted to the pocket'. Wishes he could come and see Bob and Bessie, but visits are not easy at the moment: 'Even though one carries a nosebag' [i.e. takes food rations] the demand on one's host's hospitality is 'not easy to meet;. Would love to 'stroll' with Bob on his terrace and talk. May manage to get to London in autumn, and hopes then to visit Raisley [Moorsom?] and his family. Wonders whether Bob has seen his autobiography, "But To What Purpose"; thinks it would interest him, though he may think he has been 'too severe on Bedales'. Learned a 'great deal' from writing it; may perhaps have 'more to learn'.
He and Katharine very much like their new home, which is 'the half of a beautiful old house', with 'the most lovely garden'; regrets that that is a 'very expensive item', and he finds it difficult not to work too hard there. Has 'slipped somehow, rather unwillingly, into [radio] broadcasts', and is about to record two 'Empire broadcasts' in the "Men and Book" series, one on Melville and the other on Conrad. Will take a 'very different approach from the fellow who talked on these two the other night on the Third Programme [William Plomer?]' They have just come back from a conference at Birmingham, having heard some interesting papers and discussions, particularly the papers by Wilson Knight on "Imagination" and [William?] Chaning Pearce on "Existentialism and Christianity". Wilson Knight's lecture was a 'masterpiece of extemporary speaking'; expects Bob knows "The Wheel of Fire" and "The Imperial Theme", Knight's writings on Shakespeare, and recommends them if he does not. Love to the Trevelyans from both Grant Watsons.