[ilds] Sweetness and darkness

[James Gifford]

> A funny things I recall from Carbondale that perhaps
 > Bill or Richard will help me to recall more clearly:
 > In one notebook there are a whole series of imaginary
 > letters written to Durrell or Pursewarden from
 > imaginary readers.  What was that?  A wonderful,
 > funny conceit, I think.

"The Price of Glory: Gleanings from a Writer's In-tray" is the title, I 
believe.  If it's the same one I have, it is very funny...

My personal favourite from it is:

"Dear Sir
      I am writing to you because it is clear that an artist of such 
great humanity and such a close knowledge of life in general and women 
in particular cannot be indifferent to the fate of Irish horses shipped 
over to Belgium to be murdered and eaten by Belgians.  I am sure that..."

Also,

"Dear Mr Durble : my teacher has sent me a poem by you for my exam. I 
don't understand it..."

I think Durrell either liked that first one so much or really had such a 
letter, such that he felt inspired to repeat it in 1960 in the opening 
paragraph of "No Clue to Living"

Best,
Jamie