July 25 Mon

More work on the poem, now called Autobiographical1
Alan nailing up Dorothy's chapel against bats. (One was let into the house, we think by Modeste, while we were all taking an evening walk to Petite Chevrie. I killed it with a shovel.)
Dorothy & I made lamp shades & shade-holders, after going together to Montauban & ordering a 2nd hand bicycle. [sic: )]
Laura with difficulty working on Aristotle2.
An ensaimada3 sent by Juan & Anita: made by a Ca'n Borras man at Mulhouse4.

Editorial Notes

1Presumably this became "Being Tall". (Check drafts in Buffalo for this title.) DW; eds.
3a local Majorcan pastry WG; "twisted coffee cake" eds.
4town outside of Basel, France eds.

Hands Referenced

Places Mentioned

  • Montauban

    Montauban-de-la-Bretagne, Brittany, France

People Mentioned

  • Juan

    Vives, Juan
    The Doctor's brother. Married to Gelat's daughter. Lived in Rennes, France. WG

  • Anita

    Ana, Anita
    Marroig. Gelat's daughter, married to Juan Vives the Doctor's brother. Live in Rennes, France. WG

  • Alan

    Hodge, Alan
    Oxford history graduate. Became close friends with LR & RG. First husband of Beryl Graves. CP & WG

  • Laura

    Riding, Laura
    (1901-91) American poet. Laura Riding (née Reichenthal; then Laura Gottschalk).

  • Modeste

    Dreuxlin, Modeste
    cook and house maid at La Chevrie, France eds.

  • Dorothy

    Simmons, Dorothy
    Sculptor associated with the Graves-Riding inner circle (1938-39). Married to Montague Simmons. eds

Bibliography

    • Title: Lives of Wives [prose]
    • Author: Riding, Laura
    • PubPlace: London, Toronto, Melbourne & Sydney
    • Publisher: Cassell and Co. Ltd.
    • Idno: A39
    • Date: 1939
    • Title: Being Tall [poem: was called "Autobiographical"? See Complete Poems, Vol. II, pp.90-91. (Check drafts in Buffalo for this title.) DW]
    • Title: Collected Poems (1938)
    • Author: Graves, Robert
    • PubPlace: London, Toronto, Melbourne & Sydney
    • Publisher: Cassell
    • Date: 1938-11