1 Autograph Postcard Signed and 1 Autograph Letter Signed, 3 total pages, Madrid and New York City, 23 June 1981 and 18 March [ny], to Kenneth Rexroth and Carol Tinker Rexroth (KR's wife)
by RODITI, Edouard
Writing from Madrid Roditi acknowledges receipt of a "long letter from Brad [Morrow, KR's literary executor], in reply to mine, brought me yesterday the good news that you are steadily improving." While in Spain, "working in Madrid since May 18," Roditi was spending "weekends in Cuenca, Salamanca, St James of Compostella, etc... These old granaries are those of the Galician farmers. All my love to both of you [Rexroth and his wife Carol]. Roditi's 18 March letter to Carol Tinker Rexroth discusses a Rexroth festschrift, publishers, and publishing projects: "I'm losing patience with Tom Parkinson and his project of a Rexroth Festschrift. I sent him my own contribution (a poem) and scared up others from Jo Axelrod, [John] Ciardi (who sent his in), George Woodcock (also sent in) and several others who have promised to send their contributions in once Parkinson has written confirmation to them. . . No reply from Parkinson." About the Festschrift, Roditi continues: "Meanwhile, I've discussed the whole project both with Lawler & with Laughlin [James Laughlin, publisher of New Directions]. Neither of them is at all interested in handling it with Parkinson, whom they both consider too unreliable for undertaking such a project on a commercial publishing basis, with a deadline etc. . . Black Sparrow Press in Los Angeles also turned the project down. So there's nothing more that I can now do and I'm very sorry as I feel that the whole project would have been in print by now if I had been alone in handling it." Concerning work of his own Roditi writes: "On the other hand, my dealings with Herder & Herder are sheer delight and I'm immensely grateful to Kenneth for the introduction. They seem to be very pleased with my Magellan and with the easy way in which I accept most of Lawler's editorial suggestions. [Roditi's biography of Magellan, Magellan of the Pacific, was published by McGraw-Hill in 1972]. We're already up to our neck in other publishing projects for this year & next: perhaps a paperback reprint of my Dialogues on Art [Roditi's interviews of artists], with some new dialogues, etc. . . ". After a few lines about his travel plans Roditi concludes: "How is Kenneth? I shocked someone at the Library of Congress when I said that Kenneth & Paul Goodman are our two greatest poets if one accepts sincerity as one of the criteria of greatness.. The letter is folded from mailing, otherwise the letter and postcard are in fine condition. The letter is folded from mailing, otherwise the letter and postcard are in fine condition. (Inventory #: 22020)