The Houghton Library at Harvard University recently received and processed the Stephen B. Fassett correspondence. Fassett lived at 24 Chestnut Street, Boston, just around the corner from Plath and Hughes. He was an audio engineer who recorded many of poets during the era. I worked the the papers in this collection on 29 August 2017.
There is a letter from Ted Hughes and a Christmas card signed by Sylvia Plath as well as letters from Dido Merwin, W. S. Merwin, John Lincoln ('Jack') Sweeney, and with the Estate of Isak Dinesen.
All text below from the "Scope and Contents" from the finding aid to the collection.
Ted Hughes correspondence
Item 1. Letter to Stephen and Agatha Fassett (from 3 Chalcot Square, London, England)
Date: 1960 May 14
Scope and Contents: Hughes provides an in-depth description of his and Sylvia Plath's return to England: "the perfect superhuman jungle, through which we have come" and the "two week ordeal of searching London for a flat" with the "baby so near." He credits "our saviors Bill & Dido [Merwin], & without them I don't know what we could have done." He describes how "Dido arranged for us to sign on with her doctor. He informed us that we were too late to get into any hospital--Sylvia would have to have the child at home." But, he states, "we had no home. " He recounts how "like Magic, at the last moment, Dido produced a small flat in a small square" and "Dido & Bill hovered like genuine angels." Then, he states, "at sunrise on April 1st, our little daughter arrived [...] We call the girl Frieda Rebecca. She has enormous eyes, of which she has just acquired free use: they stare at us in intense curiosity & amazement." He indicates that "Bill [W.S. Merwin] went off to their house in France last week, & Dido goes off today. He's lent me his study for the summer, for which I'm thankful. He had a burst of writing over the last three months & produced the best part of another book. He showed us the proofs of his new book, out this summer, his best by far. 'The Native' is dedicated to you both."
Item 2. Christmas card (see below) to Stephen and Agatha Fassett (from Court Green, North Tawton, Devonshire, England)
Date: circa 1961 December
Scope and Contents: Signed Christmas card "with lots of love from Sylvia, Ted + Frieda Hughes"
Item 25. Letter to Stephen and Agatha Fassett (c/o MacNeill, 49 Pembroke Rd., Dublin, Ireland)
Date: 1961 July 27
Scope and Contents: Sweeney describes the recent appearances of Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath at the Mermaid Theatre Poetry Festival: "Last week in London ... Ted and Sylvia each read one of the commissioned poems and each read beautifully a fine poem. After the reading we had a happy supper, with yourselves in our thoughts and greetings for you from Ted & Sylvia given to me to deliver. They're a great couple of young ones. And it was for me very moving to hear and see Sylvia --- the only woman on the stage that evening and the only American on the stage! She read with great grace and clarity and command and the poem she read is a humdinger. You'll soon hear it I hope for I've asked the recorders of that session to let the Poetry Room have a transcription of their tape. And Sylvia has promised to lend the Poetry Room the worksheets of the poem she read."
Item 28. Letter to Stephen Fassett (from Invernane, Corofin, Co. Clare, Ireland)
Date: 1963 July 8
Scope and Contents: Sweeney apprises the Fassetts of Ted Hughes' condition after Sylvia Plath's death. He states that "Ted is in good health and (all things considered) good spirits. He is concerned about finding a right nanny for the children. At present they are with Ted's aunt who enjoys them and is enjoyed by them so all seems well for the present." Sweeney indicates that "Ted asked warmly for you and Agatha and begged me to beg of you a tape copy of a Japanese monastery and gong record which you played for him."
Hughes is also mentioned in two 1977 letters relating to his Gaudete. News of the collection was made by the curator of the Woodberry Poetry Room, Christina Davis, in May 2017.
All links accessed 29 August 2017 and 28 February 2018.
There is a letter from Ted Hughes and a Christmas card signed by Sylvia Plath as well as letters from Dido Merwin, W. S. Merwin, John Lincoln ('Jack') Sweeney, and with the Estate of Isak Dinesen.
All text below from the "Scope and Contents" from the finding aid to the collection.
Ted Hughes correspondence
Item 1. Letter to Stephen and Agatha Fassett (from 3 Chalcot Square, London, England)
Date: 1960 May 14
Scope and Contents: Hughes provides an in-depth description of his and Sylvia Plath's return to England: "the perfect superhuman jungle, through which we have come" and the "two week ordeal of searching London for a flat" with the "baby so near." He credits "our saviors Bill & Dido [Merwin], & without them I don't know what we could have done." He describes how "Dido arranged for us to sign on with her doctor. He informed us that we were too late to get into any hospital--Sylvia would have to have the child at home." But, he states, "we had no home. " He recounts how "like Magic, at the last moment, Dido produced a small flat in a small square" and "Dido & Bill hovered like genuine angels." Then, he states, "at sunrise on April 1st, our little daughter arrived [...] We call the girl Frieda Rebecca. She has enormous eyes, of which she has just acquired free use: they stare at us in intense curiosity & amazement." He indicates that "Bill [W.S. Merwin] went off to their house in France last week, & Dido goes off today. He's lent me his study for the summer, for which I'm thankful. He had a burst of writing over the last three months & produced the best part of another book. He showed us the proofs of his new book, out this summer, his best by far. 'The Native' is dedicated to you both."
Item 2. Christmas card (see below) to Stephen and Agatha Fassett (from Court Green, North Tawton, Devonshire, England)
Date: circa 1961 December
Scope and Contents: Signed Christmas card "with lots of love from Sylvia, Ted + Frieda Hughes"
Item 25. Letter to Stephen and Agatha Fassett (c/o MacNeill, 49 Pembroke Rd., Dublin, Ireland)
Date: 1961 July 27
Scope and Contents: Sweeney describes the recent appearances of Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath at the Mermaid Theatre Poetry Festival: "Last week in London ... Ted and Sylvia each read one of the commissioned poems and each read beautifully a fine poem. After the reading we had a happy supper, with yourselves in our thoughts and greetings for you from Ted & Sylvia given to me to deliver. They're a great couple of young ones. And it was for me very moving to hear and see Sylvia --- the only woman on the stage that evening and the only American on the stage! She read with great grace and clarity and command and the poem she read is a humdinger. You'll soon hear it I hope for I've asked the recorders of that session to let the Poetry Room have a transcription of their tape. And Sylvia has promised to lend the Poetry Room the worksheets of the poem she read."
Item 28. Letter to Stephen Fassett (from Invernane, Corofin, Co. Clare, Ireland)
Date: 1963 July 8
Scope and Contents: Sweeney apprises the Fassetts of Ted Hughes' condition after Sylvia Plath's death. He states that "Ted is in good health and (all things considered) good spirits. He is concerned about finding a right nanny for the children. At present they are with Ted's aunt who enjoys them and is enjoyed by them so all seems well for the present." Sweeney indicates that "Ted asked warmly for you and Agatha and begged me to beg of you a tape copy of a Japanese monastery and gong record which you played for him."
Hughes is also mentioned in two 1977 letters relating to his Gaudete. News of the collection was made by the curator of the Woodberry Poetry Room, Christina Davis, in May 2017.
All links accessed 29 August 2017 and 28 February 2018.
I'm wondering which of her poems Plath read at the festival! Thanks for posting these!
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous! Plath read "Tulips". It was recorded by the British Library and released on The Spoken Word: Sylvia Plath, in 2010. ~pks
ReplyDelete