[22 Paradise Rd., Northampton, Mass.]
Your last letter – the last, I imagine, that will ever come by the unlucky ‘Paris’1 – reached me almost immediately after the previous one by the ‘Manhattan’, and just after I had written a reply to that. I was very glad to have your first news from Northampton; and although you are so very reticent about your health, I am free to infer that you feel better than at this time last year. IMoot, The;a6 have myself been taking things fairly easy – except for the busy weekend meeting at Jordan’s, which went off well: trying to clear up papers and put things in order: my'That Poetry is made with words';a1 only'On Reading Official Reports';a1 writingNew English Weeklytwo contributions to;b1 to scribble two short papers for the N.E.W.: one on an essay of Maritain on poetry, the other on the Report of the Education Commission, but that was done over Easter.2 AndMorleys, the;j4 now I have promised to stay at the Morleys’ until Wednesday morning: the weather is fine and has been almost hot, so it may do me good. IFamily Reunion, TheMarch 1939 Westminster Theatre production;g3TSE's final visit to;a9 went on Wednesday for a final visit to the Reunion; asMurray, Stephenreturns as Charles;a2 Stephen Murray had returned to take the part of Charles, Martin sat in the stalls with me. RedgraveRedgrave, Michaelperformance pruned by Martin Browne;a6 had become more theatrical, and Martin spoke to him afterwards; so I hope that he will end at his best, such as that is. And I don’t intend to think seriously about another play until the autumn. But we will talk about that, I hope.
Itravels, trips and plansEH's 1939 England visit;d5threatened by war;a2 have had no news, either direct or from you, about the Perkins’s plans; but I presume that Stamford House is still available. I have a feeling that if things are still quiescent at the end of May, nothing further will happen until the autumn: but I cannot justify that – one has nothing to go upon but feelings. Buttravels, trips and planspossible TSE 1939 visit to America;d4threatened by war;a4 I do fear that things will become critical again in September, which will be annoying for me personally, as I wanted to come over for a visit then. I must try to come, the first opportunity that offers. Meanwhile, I can hardly think further ahead than the question whether you will be able to come safely in the middle of June.
1.On 18 Apr. 1939, while berthed at Le Havre, the SS Paris caught fire, capsized and sank.
2.‘That Poetry is made with words’ – on Situation de la Poésie by Jacques and Raissa Maritain – New English Weekly 15:2 (27 Apr. 1939), 278. ‘On Reading Official Reports’: CProse 5, 672–5.
2.StephenMurray, Stephen Murray (1912–83), stage, screen, TV and radio actor.
1.According to Browne (The Making of T. S. Eliot’s Plays,147), MichaelRedgrave, Michael Redgrave – aged 31 – ‘had already made a name for himself at the Old Vic, with John Gielgud in his season at the Queen’s, and with Michel Saint-Denis at the Phoenix’. TSE to James Forsyth, 16 July 1940 (tseliot.com), on Redgrave: ‘He is a most likeable person and very easy to work with. Unlike some actors he does not assume that he knows more about the play than the author does, and is always anxious to co-operate.’