[Aaron Poochigian]

Walter, my darling, that's my fear--that Merrill is a gay phenomenon. My very gay mentor at Columbia Richard Howard also loved Merrill's work.

From what I understand Merrill was very handsome, very charming and very, very rich. As for the "fab" quality in his poetry--it is inaccessible to me. I hate that--thinking that I don't get something because I am a (heterometrical) heterosexual.