From Library Journal
A fascinating minor figure, Arkansas-born Fletcher (1886-1950) led two poetic lives: first as an Imagist in England and then as an Agrarian in the United States. This is the last of a seven-volume series of his work that includes a biography, an autobiography, and selected works. Of some 1800 letters, only 137 are represented here, but it is easy to see why: Fletcher was a fussy writer, and his letters do tend to go on. He treated his friends to the kind of trenchant criticism made tolerable by the meticulousness that is one hallmark of true friendship, whereas his enemies bore the special wrath that comes only from someone who has always thought himself right; both sides were subject to tirades against well-meaning fools in general and Ezra Pound in particular. Ultimately, Fletcher's king-sized personality transcends his slight status as a writer; he is as much fun as the irascible guest you want to encounter at someone else's party but never at your own. For literature collections.
David Kirby, Florida State Univ., Tallahassee
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
David Kirby, Florida State Univ., Tallahassee
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
