EBERHART, Richard

Collected Poems 1930-1960

First edition. Fine in very good dustwrapper a bit tanned and soiled on the spine. Inscribed by the author to his assistant when he was Consultant in Poetry at the Library of Congress: "To Phyllis Armstrong, Day to day constant friend and companion 1959-1961 at the Library of Congress. All Best Wishes and Warmest Greetings, Richard Eberhart." Armstrong was the Assistant in Poetry at the Library of Congress where she bullied, cajoled and served the various poets who served as Poetry Consultant (later changed to Poet Laureate) for 24 years. She was appointed by Karl Shapiro in 1946 who said in retrospect that she handled, "one difficult poet after another, for which she deserved the Congressional Medal of Honor." A tall, chain-smoking, Canadian poet, she reminded Randall Jarrell of T.S. Eliot. She was inextricably bound-up with the history of that office. When questioned about his tenure, Howard Nemerov said: "I had no problems. I just did what Phyllis told me to do."

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