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page 2 unclear this, despite the fact that my work appeared in 10 out of 12 issues of Pagong. In my opinion, Hicks' review was that of a sour, cynical old man. Actually, the supercilious tone of condescension affected by Hicks had me rather hot under the collar- You come out rather nicely + favorably and importantly in the book itself, a book which made me rather nostalgic about the past. That Jay du Von became a stool pigeon + informer does not surprise me, although I did not know this until you informed of the fact in this letter of yours. I always liked George Redfield- The best of all the editors of The Left. I used to love to drink beer with George in much the same way I enjoyed being with Walt Carmon. One of the last times I saw George he told me about a visit by an F.B.I. agent, who flashed his F.B.I. card in George's face, pushed his way into the apartment, + sat down without his having been asked to do so. over

the office. He was sales manager of some outfit. Then he got evangelical about some outfit that would organize the mayors of cities for social purposes--anti-war, etc. My Christmas card to him up in Vermont was not returned last year, though he did not reciprocate as of yore. So he must have died within the year. W.K. ("Bill") Jordan was or is living at 205 Swan Road, Suitland, Maryland--in government service of some kind. Did you know Jay du Von turned out to be a stool pigeon and government informer, fingering many of his former friends of the Left for the Un-American Committee and the FBI? I talked to Bill from New York about 15 years ago (George Redfield, not yet disappeared) got him on the phone and invited him to a party they were giving for me in NYC. Bill was cordial, but said he couldn't make it. I wrote him later, but he never answered. Joseph A. Kalar became public relations man for a lumber company--somewhat cynical about his "red" past. Last address was 4915 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis, Minnesota 55409. I have talked to him on the phone (in Chicago) but never did meet him face to face. He's not reactionary--just indifferent. Remember good old H. H. Lewis who used to give the CP hierarchy hell from Cape Girardeau, Missouri? I did a piece on him for the current issue of DECEMBER (Curt Johnson, editor, Box 274, Western Springs, Illinois 60558). Does the Pembroke library take it? They ought to. You might exchange your poetry magazine for his big magazine, sells for $2.50, but has a helluva lot in it. Thanks for the photo negative. Yep, there ain't many of us old timers still in a vertial position, so we ought to keep in touch. By god, Norman, we're so old we ain't considered dangerous any more. Can appear on college campuses where once we would have been lynched or at least rode out of town on a rail, adorned with a coat of tar and feathers. All best, Jack Glad you mentioned A RETURN TO PAGANY. Beacon promised to send me a copy in return for my letting them use a letter of mine to Johns. So far hasn't arrived, so must jog them.