.MTQzMg.MTIzODE5

in pencil in top margin Field, Ben

160 Parkside Ave. Brooklyn, N.Y. 11226 October 10, 1978

Dear Jack,

    When you failed to answer me within a week, I became a little worried:  Could it be that The Old Harp was no longer up to his irrepressible tricks?  Lo, and Behold, I was mistaken.  Your letter arrived this morning.
     The P. O. has no sense of humor.  "The Sage of Brooklyn" must have thrown it for a loss.  In any case, we are communicating in spite of the difficulties.
     Thanks for putting a good word in for me with Howard of Bentley.
     Yes, I did write something in behalf of Caldwell.   And I do hope it'll stir up the squabs.
      I'm in touch with Millen, who is doing well, busy with his poetry and a book of essays, and I shall tell him of your handstands and the Conference with Meridel where you surely must have given a good account of yourself.
   So far nothing doing with my book, "The Boy Joel."  I sit down every day behind the old typewriter and work on still another short novel.  I've used fifteen poems which appeared here and there in it.  Maybe one of these days this novel and a few other pieces will be gobble up by some Turkey in the MIDWEST.   You know that Laughlin turned down my book of short stories, much as he liked it, because he is concentrating on avant garde material.
   We are getting out of this neighborhood and becoming Islanders, having bought a cooperative on Roosevelt Island*.  It appears to be a good buy.  We plan to do the moving in a couple of months, and then, if all is well, we may do a cross country.  If so, we'd like very much to spend a little time with the Jack Conroys.  We'll see.
   I've been doing a publicity job for Mangione, have gotten the local libraries to order his latest book, have written to Ruth and Paul Corey out in Sonoma also.   Do you know them?  They are two fine people, who are also having a tough time but are full of vinegar.  Ruth is trying to save the Cougar which faces extinction.   Paul has become an authority on cats, and has written several books about these domestic felines.
   And so it goes.
   You are the Sage, and the only one.
    Our love to Gladys.

Ben added in ink It is bounded by the East River and the Harlem River in MANHATTAN!