Part 23 (1/2)

Dolly: The rounds go on. I'm hardly ever alone, and in a way that rattles me, too. It's too unlike my life. Sunday my sister and my brother M[aurice] and Adam-Adam is simply wonderful. He phoned me this morning and said he had to talk to me. Sondra got on the telephone and said he was afraid of my disappearing like Uncle Lester. It's marvelous to be such a psychologist. Anyway, I'm taking Adam to Lesha's little girl's birthday party on Thursday. That made him happier. He sounded slightly tearful. Oy Oy, we with our tears oiling the wheels of the universe. If we had no tears we wouldn't be ourselves, but the mind still finds them an oddity. Anyway . . . M[aurice] gave me a handsome Irish tweed coat, the houndstooth check, which seems to fit. But apparently I insulted him bitterly when he said he couldn't read any of my books, except a few chapters of Augie Augie; the rest was nonsense to him and he failed to understand how they could be published profitably. I said after all he was not a trained reader, but devoted himself to business and love. He was offended and said I didn't respect respect him, and that I was a terrible sn.o.b. I thought I was being angelically mild, and put my arms about him and said I was his loving brother, wasn't that better than heaping up grievances? Finally I melted him from his touchiness. He freezes when he's offended, and if you think him, and that I was a terrible sn.o.b. I thought I was being angelically mild, and put my arms about him and said I was his loving brother, wasn't that better than heaping up grievances? Finally I melted him from his touchiness. He freezes when he's offended, and if you think I'm I'm vulnerable, I recommend you study him. s.h.i.+ls gave me a long lecture on the touchiness of Jews. vulnerable, I recommend you study him. s.h.i.+ls gave me a long lecture on the touchiness of Jews.

Well, there's a little news. I'm working, I'm well, I'm paid up, I miss you-I miss you in the sack. I'm waiting for the 23rd, and I love you, Bellow and Susan Gla.s.sman had married in November.

To Susan Gla.s.sman Bellow [Postmarked Chicago, 11 January 1962]

Dolly- I think Herzog Herzog is about to enter the final stages-two last sections, neither too long, and we're finished. is about to enter the final stages-two last sections, neither too long, and we're finished.

Not much else gets done, between teaching and writing and check-signing. When you come, perhaps I can catch up on reading as well as f.u.c.king. I begin to have erotic dreams about you. And maybe my poor health is nothing but misapplied eroticism (according to St. Norman O. Brown and others of the Freudian church). Had dinner last night (Wed.) at The Coast with Morrie, my brother, and his lady friend and his neighbor Lionel the Knight of the Corridor (Karpel). And now I'm off to fetch Adam, take him to Lesha's party, take him home, come south, lie down and wait for more dreams.

Love,

To Susan Gla.s.sman Bellow January 16, 1962 [Chicago]

Dolly- Another blizzard, a mere eight inches this time. I was in a snowdrift-night, starless. And chainless. So I had to jack the car again and put on the chains. No fun this time. It was cold, and filthy, and in the dark it took an hour. All the b.u.t.tons came off the coat my brother gave me, and it's not fit to wear now. Also, I came home exhausted and took to bed (9 P.M.). So I've sworn to lose weight. I feel a million years old. But I got up this A.M. and wrote the nightclub thing in two hours and got it off (the chains were more troublesome). Next, I'm going to move up my Jewish introduction [for the anthology Great Jewish Short Stories Great Jewish Short Stories]. Faute de mieux on couche avec les ma.n.u.scrits Faute de mieux on couche avec les ma.n.u.scrits [ [69]. Your letter delighted me this morning. I treated myself like a tired warrior: lunch at the club, a haircut, a slow walk. Now it's about cla.s.s time, I'm going below. Your ma has invited me to the Epicurean Restaurant Friday. Great relief after the Camelia Room. (The camelias were wax.) I so miss you, Dolly.

Yours,

To Susan Gla.s.sman Bellow January 17, 1962 [Chicago]

Dolly- Towers of snow, and we peek out like prairie dogs at Grand Canyon. The air is stale in here, but the windows are stuck with frost. I keep driving (I've lost one chain) in and somehow out of snowdrifts. Could use a little Tivoli, and you on the sofa in my arms breathing peace and love into my arms.

The bureaucratic machine begins to tie me up-official occasions next Mon. and Tues. You're lucky not to be here.

But Herzog Herzog meanwhile is thriving (p. 194 of the meanwhile is thriving (p. 194 of the final final version). version).

s.h.i.+ls leaves tomorrow morning. I'm taking him to a Chinese dinner tonight, in my opulence. Astonis.h.i.+ngly, I wrote that Show Biz piece in two hours and earned two hundred fifty bucks.

There is something that grows for you here under this blue electric blanket.

Kisses and love,

To Susan Gla.s.sman Bellow January 19, 1962 [Chicago]

O Susabella! What a rapid rat-race. These predators of Chicago (U) will leave me no shreds of flesh on my poor bones. I suppose there's a quick way to handle it all: Yoga, or something. Money takes time. I must abandon The n.o.ble Savage The n.o.ble Savage. Can't handle the mail. And I must ever console Keith and a.s.sure him (more superfluous letter writing) that he's a good little Botsford.

I miss you, meantime, Susabella. Thank heavens we can observe next Erev Shabbos together.

The heavens are like a flour-sifter. Six inches more of snow today. Great statuary on campus. Streets impa.s.sable. [ . . . ]

Love from yr. mate,

Herzog has rosy cheeks. has rosy cheeks.

To Susan Gla.s.sman Bellow January 23, 1962 [Chicago]

Dearest Susabreza, O.K. You're right-I'm wrong. I suppose it's one of my unadmirable spiels spiels, and you catch me up very responsibly, and like a good wife.

I've made no dates for the weekend. Maybe I'll pick up Adam on Sunday, but the rest is bed, blanket and you.

A little discouraging last night. Dave Peltz and I took Trilling out slumming. A cold coming we had of it.

Anyway, we'll rub the whole thing off with erasers of love.

To Anne s.e.xton [n.d.] [Minneapolis]

Dear Anne s.e.xton, [ . . . ].

I have both your letters now, the good one, and the contrite one next day. One's best things are always followed by an apologetic seizure. ”Monster of Despair” could be Henderson Henderson's subt.i.tle. I think you coined this expression. I don't remember it. At this particular point we seem to have entered into each other's minds. A marriage of true minds, or meeting arranged by Agape. (Where has Eros gotten me?) [ . . . ]

Your poem [”Old Dwarf Heart”] is genuinely Hendersonian-”breathing in loops like a green hen” is absolutely IT!

Yours in true-minded friends.h.i.+p,

To Susan Gla.s.sman Bellow February 26, 1962 [Chicago]

Dearest Susabousa: I am seated in my office growling at Life the Tiger. Winter has now turned into a cold fluid-gray. All the old ice looks like Death's protege. Even the sparrows are sick sick of this. And the elms. Phooey! [ . . . ] of this. And the elms. Phooey! [ . . . ]

And I miss you. Your loving Husband Husband.

To John Berryman April 2, 1962 Tivoli Dear John- Chicago was colder than the Gold Rush, cliffs of snow and people like Alaskan sourdoughs. I was tempted to fly up to Mpls. but it was even colder there, so I stayed put. [ . . . ] I am writing on a piece of board over my knees. I await spring. You can hear the bushes marking time.