[Tim Murphy]

A lot of the work you have helped me with at the Deep End will be finding its way into print. Disenchantment Bay was turned down by the New Yorker, in my first submission in thirty-five years, but Muldoon wrote me a lovely rejection letter. Right now it's languishing at Poetry. My spirits were greatly lifted this morning, however, when I received word from Paul that Wind River Justice will be published in First Things. It is my first poem in blank verse, and it is a big poem. Last week First Things published my paraphrase from Augustine, and I was pleased by that. For all his PhD in theology, Joseph Bottum is truly a man of the American West, as am I, and I am grateful to call him my publisher.

I mentioned over at the Deep End that the sequence that began as Training, then morphed into Dove Log, then was retitled at Aliki's suggestion, The Blind Retrieve, will be in Gray's Sporting Journal, as will Posted, my current posting at our senior board. I've just read the author proofs of Working Stiffs from Sewanee Theological Review, and I want to reiterate my thanks to the many poets who made me keep at it, the only sonnet sequence I have ever written. STR is going to be a good home for Murphy. The editor just sent me the current issue, and there is an astonishingly good poem by a Rob Griffith. Is he the editor of Measure? S'pose I should send there too.

[A. E. Stallings]

I treasure some "lovely rejection letters" more than acceptances... and surely it is a matter of time before the New Yorker is a taker rather than a nibbler. Congrats on the good news.

[Janice D. Soderling]

That is a fine haul, Tim, and surely you are deserving.

But why is TDE the "Senior Board" at Eratosphere? Is it one that is only for old guys, or one that is older than the other Boards or (horrors! perish the thought) one that deems itself a tad more uppity than the other boards?

Just asking, (though I am plumb tuckered out from chasing those pesky Swedes into the weeds again).

Janice

[Tim Murphy]

Janice, TDE is only the senior board because it's the one where Cantor and I blast younger poets into positions of prostration. Met I and Nonmet actually preceed it by a year. But it was started by a darksome man, affectionately known as the EfH, and we keep up the tradition.

[Janice D. Soderling]

Just joshing you, Tim. Gotta go chase me some Swedes now!!!!

(I don't dare ask what EfH means. One such answer is enough for today.)

[Martin Rocek]

Tim,
Congratulations on your haul!

Janice,
Careful! Chasing turnips can be exhausting.

Martin

[Andrew Frisardi]

Janice: Editor from Hell. (I just learned that myself.)

Good going, Tim. Muldoon will take something soon, I bet.

[Patricia A. Marsh]

As the young-uns say, "Awesome!"

[Tim Murphy]

Muldoon is not going to get another chance. The last time the New Yorker said no to me was 1983. If I stay on pattern, Muldoon and Murphy will be dead before Aaron sends in another poem on my behalf.

[Joseph Bottum]

Thanks for the kind word, Tim, but I should say that I have no training in theology. My doctorate, for what it's worth--wallpaper, mostly--is in philosophy. Any time you have trouble sleeping, let me know and I'll send over a copy of my dissertation, on the concept of decline as a principle in the metaphysics of time. Even I doze off reading it.

And thanks for giving First Things the poems. We're glad to have them, even if we aren't the New Yorker.

Jody