A Critical Friendship: Donald Justice and Richard Stern, 1946-1961

Correspondence of 1951 to 1952

CORRESPONDENCE OF 1951 TO 1952 CORRESPONDENCE OF 1951 TO 1952 97 [June 1951] | [Frankfurt] Dear Don and Jean, Two ways to go about jobs here, the first being, I’m told, slow and unsure, namely writing to personnel depts in Washington. The second is to make direct contacts here either personally or by letter. The first nearly always works but I imagine the latter could be just as effective. For jobs in education , write Mr. Egbert Hunter, 7700 T.I. and E. Group, APO 757. (No German needed.) Posts are education “advisors” which involve setting up centers for the army and administering them—three years’ experience requiredteaching —. However, even I squeezed out three years. As for State Dept, one might write to Personnel, Hicog Frankfurt, APO 757 and see what possibilities are open anywhere in the “theater.” If the unexpected happens and neither bears fruit, I’ll look around. You, of course, should get the fellowship.1 Didn’t know it involved no “labor but writing.” I suppose you are a sort of “nihilist” as you put it. I’m surprised at Paul’s facile despair, however.2 (Despite the tone of the Magi poem,3 I could say you’re not particularly concerned with “beliefs,” which is where all of us are more or less, despite Edgar’s churchgoing—Paul is exempt, naturally4—and sweater-swaggering. Of course, we do believe without question of rightly or wrongly in the no discussion policy (which is post silver age Rome I believe). However, being anecdotalists, or nihilists, or pre-Christians (these talk tho) leaves us with such little tonal range; but again one can only accept this and perhaps, with slight violation of accepted aristocratic policy, state it. I wonder if it is this position which makes us such limited derivativists—. No, that’s not so—humanism seems assuredly worse. But the absence of a Gide chez nous is interesting if important or not. As for the poems in the book,5 I enjoy them greatly as you know. And the skill of the blank verse, also, tho you present the original edition in footnote. I don’t think one would do this through a verse play with much success, however. There William C. Williams has a case. Have just finished a short tour of Belgium and Holland. The Rembrandt, Vermeer, et al, with cities like Bruges and Delft made it very exciting and lovely. Nothing particularly extraordinary, tho a classic joke happened to me, namely asking a woman I knew was French (in French) where it was in the castle that William of Orange was assassinated and getting back “Je ne parle 98 CORRESPONDENCE OF 1951 TO 1952 pas hollandaise. Je ne parle que francais.”6 The castle incidentally is really kept up, a sixteenth century first floor and an eighteenth century second, the former, in the usual terms of snobbism here, by far the better. The usual American professors from Wyoming University are around and, according to the same terms, pronouncing Goethe “Gaty.” Christopher returns the salutes as does Gay. And we look forward to times on a farm somewhere with you patting all our heads. Dick I’m afraid Paul-like tones are creeping into my letters. I am also putting on weight again. (INCIDENTALLY our street address is NEUHAUS STR 7 FRANKFURT/ MAIN telephone 55517) Private TS. Hillsboro, North Carolina | October 1 [1951] Dear Dick and Gay, It was wonderful to get your letter and the pictures, and I feel that it was very magnanimous of you to write us another good letter after we’ve been such delinquent correspondents! We’ve missed hearing from you, very much indeed, and we’ll try to do better this winter. The address calls for a lot of explanations. First of all, the Stanford fellowship didn’t come through.7 Very disappointing, and I’m afraid, a little surprising to us. We planned at once to go to New York, write, get jobs when necessary, etc. Then Don went up a couple of weeks ago to look things over, and, after a week, decided the situation was intolerable. We have taken refuge here in Eleanor and Peter’s house, while they are living in Greensboro for at least a while. We don’t expect to be able to stay here all winter but expect to get some quarters either here or in Chapel Hill. (Don is thinking of...