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in pencil in top margin Hecht, Mike Nov. 21, 1976

T-- note in red ink: Publisher of a daily newspaper in the Midwest.

You may not have heard of Jack Conroy. He is one of the great figures of American literature. Author, editor, book reviewer, story teller, anthologist. THE DISINHERITED, a classic of a novel. MIDLAND HUMOR, an anthology. And on and on.

Jack's now 77, in exile in Moberly Missouri. There was a time when he got books to review from the Chicago SUN TIMES and DAILY NEWS, but for reasons I don't understand--cause his mind is alert, his wit sharp, his judgement excellent, and he's a fine book reviewer--they don't ask him anymore.

If you don't have, and would like to build a good weekly book review page for your paper, I think Conroy could do a heluva job for you. What he couldn't or wouldn't want to review personally, he could get fine reviewers for, cause he knows so many crossed out: people writers. I don't know what the economics of this are, and maybe this is a foolish dream, but a successful something like this could give your paper a distinction that would make it nationally known, give you fun, a sense of achievement, and give Jack a chance to earn a few bucks doing what comes naturally to him.

I am taking the liberty of enclosing a recent exchange of correspondence with Jack...and if you think my idea has some merit, write to Jack (or call him ) and sound him out.

OK?

Mike PS? Did I have the wit to have sent to you?

    Conroy's WRITERS IN REVOLT
    Ferrini's SELECTED POEMS
  If I didn't, would you let me gift them to you?  (Sometimes you can't help your friends, but one way you can is to buy and send their books to people who you think will appreciate them.)

[[note in red ink in left margin: Jack: If this doesn't interest you, just decline the offer if it comes. [[[?]] ]]