Dart’s in another “talkative” mood tonight, once again writing an eight-page letter to Dot. He’s full of news from his Skyline editorial meeting tonight.
He submitted a free verse poem for publication in the magazine. It was read anonymously and rejected just as anonymously. It was a poem he’d written her from Norfolk which he’d edited some. “… but I forgot to shorten it. Seems like everything I write turns out to be too long.” This poem, while received favorably, was deemed ‘too long in the middle.’ It also “clashes” with another poem that had already been accepted for publication in the upcoming issue.
“There are lots of angles to consider in this kind of work. Personal prejudices and interests in technique, subject matter, and form must be weighed against personal reactions to individual pieces. One person might like a poem because of his views on technique; it might be a perfectly done sonnet, excellent in all points, but that one opinion must be a pretty strong one if the other editors aren’t ‘moved’ by the poem. Conversely, a few excellent ideas are rejected because they are so technically imperfect that we feel there is no hope for them.”
He enjoys this work very much and he’d like to continue with it. He shares his concern with Dot that his propensity for changing his mind about things might eventually lead to him not liking the Skyline work, but he hopes that doesn’t happen.
He describes the staff as a cosmopolitan bunch; a musician, an artist, several published poets, and several novices in the game of literary editing. Many are married. One man was born in Czechoslovakia.
It is customary for the group to stop by the Gazelle restaurant after meetings to share a “Dutch treat” dinner and continue their informal conversations. He tagged along tonight and had a nice time, all the while wishing Dot could be there with him.
Today, Dart bought a pair of ear muffs because hats give him headaches. He also deposited a dollar in their penny account, bringing the total to $48.00.
One of the editors he met tonight is “an apparatus man” with Ohio Bell. He claims its an interesting job, taking care of millions of little “apparatuses.” He also reports that the telephone company is a good company to work for.
In answer to Dot’s question, he certainly does remember when she said he’d never see her with her hair in curlers, nor in a bathing suit. She was wrong on both counts. Does she remember the night he kissed her in the kitchen at Lake Sunapee? Her hair was in curlers, the light was on, and he wasn’t scared off. “Why do you think you’ll scare me off? Darling, I don’t think anything about you will scare me away.”
These memories launch Dart on a very amorous few pages that are so intimate that I dare not discuss them here. The gist of it is, he’s grateful that they are able to talk about the most intimate things together. He’s so glad that she enjoys their intimacies and is as eager as he is to expand upon their shared experiences in that area of their life. “Oh Dot, I’m so glad you want * and !, and are so wonderfully straight forward about it. It’s healthy to feel that way, and to recognize it. And boy, am I healthy!”