Add MS 88998/2/23

39 communications from Paul Evans.

• (1). Liverpool, 24 January 1985. Autograph letter (1 sheet) and autograph postcard (dated 'Wed'), with a single envelope addressed to Brighton. Both letter and card offer comments regarding the text of Harwood, Dream Quilt: 'I hate to think of a beautiful letter-press job marred by even trivial blots'.
• (2). Liverpool, 1 February [1985]. Autograph letter (1 sheet). Refers to forthcoming Snowdon trip: 'I haven't actually read about the recent Snowdon casualties: Lucy mentioned something to me, suggesting we should postpone till the summer. What!'
• (3). Liverpool, 17 June [1985]. Autograph letter (1 sheet), typed poem 'Four In One' (2 sheets), with cutting ('Country Diary' on Snowdonia). With envelope.
• (4). Liverpool, 8 August 1985. Autograph letter (1 sheet). Planning 'to go on a six-day solo walk from Chirk, on the Welsh border, to Dolgellan, over the Berwyns, the Arans and Cader Idris. Unless you want to join me?' Evans quotes a passage from Andrew Young, A Prospect of Flowers (1945) on the fate of the Early Spider Orchid in a field near Brighton.
• (5). Liverpool, 3 October 1985. Autograph letter (2 sheets), enclosing typed poem 'The Skull and the Fossils' (1 sheet photocopy). Evans has been walking in Scotland, 'including the ascent of two 3000 footers'. He describes the poem as 'a rather weird ballad-type piece written on Skye'.
• (6). [Liverpool], 1 November 1985. Autograph letter (1 sheet) which includes a typed poem ('Self-Portrait').
• (7). [Liverpool], 8 November 1985. Autograph letter (1 sheet).
• (8). Liverpool '(or what's left of it)', 22 November 1985. Autograph letter (1 sheet). Planning a 'winter expedition' (Wales) for January.
• (9). [Liverpool], 10 December 1985. Autograph letter (1 sheet), enclosing an item for Harwood's amusement that Evans came across in Chester Bus Station: 'Call to the North west or A Walk with God' (3 sheets). Looking forward to the January expedition. 'Did you read about the two climbers blown off Tryfan the other day by a gust of wind?'
• (10). Liverpool, 6 January 1986. Autograph letter (1 sheet). Has just finished reading J. A. Baker, The Hill of Summer (1969), and recommends The Peregrine by same author. 'I see the father and daughter trapped overnight in Snowdonia last week were on the Carneddan - Harwood, take note! I definitely think you should take my new hypothermia survival blanket with you.'
• (11). [Liverpool], 27 January 1986. Autograph letter (1 sheet).
• (12). [Liverpool], 6 February 1986. Autograph postcard. 'I've "booked" May 29-June 1, in Whit week, for Snowdonia trip. I hope this fits with your and Harry's [Harry Guest] plans?'
• (13). Liverpool, 13 February 1986. Autograph postcard. Recommends British Museum English watercolour show (includes familiar Welsh landscapes).
• (14). Liverpool, 17 February 1986. Autograph letter (1 sheet). 'I've been amusing myself the last week or so, preparing my lecture for next Tuesday - on The Welsh Sublime: Painters & Travellers discover Wales.'
• (15). Liverpool, 5 March 1986. Autograph letter (1 sheet), with newspaper cutting (referring to another Paul Evans). Looking forward to Snowdonia the weekend after next. 'I see the President of the Alpine Club was killed on (or, rather, falling off) Crib Goch the other day, shortly before he was due to address the annual dinner at Capel Curig, poor sod.' Evans recommends The Wilderness Reader, ed. Frank Bergon.
• (16). Liverpool, 19 March 1986. Autograph letter (2 sheets). ''I can't wait to see your opera ['The Unfinished Opera for Marian']. What has inspired this new venture? Is it a costume piece? I hope so - enough of the drab present. And let it have monstrous beasts and stunted persons, while you're at it.' Evans has had poems rejected by Figs magazine.
• (17). [Liverpool], 23 March 1986. Covering autograph letter (1 sheet), with a series of typed poems in 5-line rhyming units (22 sheets), drafts for The Sofa Book (1987).
• (18). [Liverpool], 25 March [1986]. Autograph letter (1 sheet). Reporting on 'a couple of days in Wales'.
• (19). Liverpool, 7 April [1986]. Autograph letter (2 sheets) with typed poem 'Insomnia' (1 sheet) and envelope. Requests the return of 'the series of rhyming-couplet bits I sent you a year or so ago, since I've somehow lost mine and I want to do some repair-work on it. Enclosed an extracted and tidied-up version of some of it which I'd already made into a separate piece.'
• (20). Liverpool, 19 April 1986. Autograph letter (1 sheet). Evans is taking driving lessons. Plans for walking in Wales.
• (21). Liverpool, 24 April 1986. Autograph postcard.
• (22). Liverpool, 'May ?' (post mark 9 May 1986). Autograph letter (1 sheet), with envelope. Further Snowdonia plans. 'Sorry to hear your (temporary, I hope) abandonment of the opera.'
• (23). Liverpool, 22 May [1986]. Autograph postcard. More on Snowdonia plans.
• (24). Reservation confirmation, Cobdens Hotel, Capel Curig, for three nights 30 May - 1 June [1986].
• (25). Undated [1986] Guest House receipt, Beddgelert. £31.35.
• (26). [June 1986]. Brief note regarding meeting Harwood in London.
• (27). Spain, 7 June 1986. Autograph postcard.
• (28). [Liverpool], 25 June [1986]. Autograph letter (1 sheet), enclosing poems (2 sheets), described as 'some scribblings from the Costa Brava': 'The Cynic Takes a Holiday' (dated June 1986), 'Aubade', 'Beach Life', 'Fifty Years' and 'Noon'.
• (29). [Liverpool], 1 August [1986]. Autograph letter (1 sheet). 'Any news on the Jocelyn Brooke front yet? Re the grant, I mean. What a great idea it would be to follow his route around Sicily, for instance, for purposes of research.'
• (30). [Liverpool], 7 August 1986. Autograph letter (1 bifolium). Refers to 'clipping' (not present) from Irving, Ten Great Mountains. 'My driving test looms ever nearer - Sept 4th.'
• (31). Liverpool, 4 September 1986 (postmark). Autograph postcard. Driving test failed. Evans is 'off for 3 days solo wandering' in Wales - route described.
• (32). Liverpool, 14 September 1986. Autograph postcard. Reporting on '3 marvellous days'.
• (33). 27 September 1986. Two Guest House bills (Gwynedd) in the name of Harwood.
• (34). [2 October 1986 - postmark, envelope not retained]. Autograph postcard. 'This comes with hopes of Brittany this coming summer, and enquiries re the success (or otherwise) of your Snowdonia expedition.'
• (35). Liverpool, 13 October 1986. Autograph letter (1 sheet). Refers to enclosing his 'latest effusion' (not present), and refers to plans for Taldir in November.
• (36). Liverpool, 28 October [1986]. Autograph letter (1 sheet). 'Thanks for your two pieces, which I enjoyed - particularly the Venice one, with its strange combination of the mysterious and the amusing (not to say sinister).'
• (37). Liverpool, 29 October 1986. Autograph letter (1 sheet). Evans has passed his driving test. Reading J. G. Farrell ('on your recommendation') and Jocelyn Brooke, The Scapegoat.
• (38). Liverpool, 8 December 1986. Autograph letter (1 sheet). 'I'm still heavily into Shostakovich'. (Cf. Harwood, 'Shostakovich - 8th String Quartet, 1st Movement', Collected Poems, p. 405.)
• (39). Liverpool, 30 December 1986. Autograph letter (1 sheet), with newspaper cutting ('Mystery of orchid's gradual extinction') and postcard featuring Derek Hatton ('Our glorious revolutionary council prematurely celebrating their victory over the forces of capitalism'). Letter refers to a proposed Snowdonia walk by Harwood.