KOSTELANETZ RICHARD: (1940- ) American author, critic and artist. T.L.S., Richard Kostelanetz, one page, 8vo, New York, 12th August 1975, to Mr. Godine. Kostelanetz sends his correspondent a poem (no longer present) to be considered for publication, ´Acknowledging your interest in illuminated books, I thought you might like to consider the enclosed long poem for publication, either by itself, or as the keystone, with other previously un-collected (in two previous books), in a third collection that I´m tentatively calling Illuminations....Please let me know what you think´. Accompanied by a printed curriculum vitae for Kostelanetz including a detailed list of his works etc., and a typed carbon copy of the letter of reply from Stephen Brook, dated 7th October 1975, declining to publish Rain and stating, in part, ´I have to admit right away that I am discriminatingly hostile to what is loosely thought of as avant-garde poetry and fiction. As our list shows we are conservative in our tastes......The Breakthrough Fictioneers (I read your anthology not long ago) offer me very little. By now you´ve gathered that I didn´t much care for Rain either; nor does your essay on visual poetry offer much help in dealing with such a work....I hope you won´t feek offended by these remarks.....´ (the three stapled together at the upper left corner). Together with a second T.L.S., Richard Kostelanetz, one page, 8vo, New York, 20th October 1975, to [Stpehen] Brook, thanking him for returning In Rains Rain and informing Brook that ´It´s going to appear as a Park (sic) of cards, which is how I originally wanted it, and I didn´t think Godine would be into that sort of production´, further adding ´However, glad that you are aware of my work, which tends to be experimental, to be sure, though also classical in its orientation (which puts me at odds with most of the fashionable avant-gardes nowadays). And since I detect the latter strain in your editorial tastes (blues being classical, in my sympathetic judgment), thought you might like to consider my most recent work, a book of constructive fictions´. VG, 2

Stephen Brook (1947- ) English author and wine journalist, a former editor of The Atlantic Monthly Magazine and publisher at Routledge, Kegan & Paul from 1976-80.