Deep [1976] background for Vendler's new review in THE NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS. 5 December 2019

PITTSFIELD 29 May 1976 (having flown East from Los Angeles) to deliver my talk on the character of Vine in Melville's CLAREL.

. . . had a real triumph--controversy but did a real show--Helen Vendler: “I’d never seen you perform--your students must love you”--real triumph.” Then to NYC wi Yannella . . . .

Today, 14 November 2019, wrote this to the Library of America editor.---

Thank you, John. Helen Vendler read CLAREL in 1976 before coming with a friend to the Melville centenary meeting at Pittsfield. I gave the big talk, a version of the Hawthorne-Vine story I worked on for decades, last in MELVILLE BIOGRAPHY: AN INSIDE NARRATIVE. It different from Bezanson in focusing on Vine's race long since being run, Hawthorne's great achievements being in the past when HM met him, however impressive he still was. One man in the audience came close to dying in his rage at what I had said. The reddish haired man was in a paroxysm--truly in danger of dying right there, sputtering and shouting invectives at me for daring to minimize Hawthorne even by literary proxy. Later Helen's friend told me that Helen had listened to the fury while saying (of me) over and over, "He's right, he's right." So that was her first experience with CLAREL. I have not read the review yet, but will do so now. You were right in your hint about the quality of the reviewer assigned. I probably mentioned her to you as the one I hoped for. No one else would have been as well qualified.

Well, how about that!

Hershel

THERE'S NO POINT KEEPING A DIARY IF YOU NEVER CONSULT IT WHEN GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TODAY.