POUND, Ezra

An Archive of Ezra Pound-related items collected by psychologist Saul Rosenzweig Including Pound letters

An interesting and illuminating archive of Ezra Pound-related items compiled over two decades by psychologist Saul Rosenzweig. The archive consists of two parts: the first is related to Rosenzweig's visit with Pound on September 25, 1954, while Pound was still incarcerated at Saint Elizabeths Hospital. The second part contains a brief correspondence between Rosenzweig and Sheri Martinelli, Pound's protegee and possible mistress, in 1979. In both cases, Rosenzweig initiated contact in pursuit of information for his research on two different literary projects. Whether or not Rosenzweig's projects came to fruition we do not know, but the materials he gathered provide an insight into a difficult period of Pound's life, through Rosenzweig's direct contact with Pound and later with Martinelli, a fascinating figure in her own right.Saul Rosenzweig was a professor of Psychology at George Washington University and was most famous for creating the Rosenzweig Picture-Frustration Study, a test to measure latent hostility, which was featured in Stanley Kubrick's movie, A Clockwork Orange. In 1954, Rosenzweig asked Pound for an interview, which was granted by the Superintendent of Saint Elizabeths, Dr. Winfred Overholser, even though Pound had initially turned down Rosenzweig's request. Rosenzweig was interested in the literary expatriates who had lived in Paris in the 1920s, especially Ernest Hemingway. His goal, in his interview with Pound, was to research the effect Pound had on Hemingway. Indeed, Rosenzweig bought the 1921 Pound letter detailed below for this purpose.With the exception of the first item, the first grouping of the archive all date from 1954 and consists of the following items:1. Typed Letter Signed by Pound to Mr. Liveright (publisher), Paris, (July 22, 1921), 2 pp. With some notations by Pound in typed text. Pound writes about translating French books by authors in which he is interested. With original mailing envelope. Accompanied by typed notes by Rosenzweig on three index cards about why he bought the letter (Rosenzweig's interest in Pound's influence on Ernest Hemingway).2. Handwritten letter signed by Rosenzweig to Pound, Washington University, St. Louis, September 1, 1954, 2 pp. Noted at top "Copy." Rosenzweig requests an interview with Pound because he is doing research on the "creative aspects of American (and English) literature during the 1920's (Eliot, Hemingway and yourself, among others)."3. Typed note signed by Lulu Drennan, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent of St. Elizabeths Hospital, to Rosenzweig, Saint Elizabeths Hospital, Washington, September 7, 1954, 1 p. She gives a positive response to Rosenzweig's request to visit.4. Two handwritten letters by Rosenzweig regarding his planned visit to Pound, no dates.5. Typed letter from Rosenzweig to Pound, October 8, 1954, 1p., carbon copy. Rosenzweig writes to return a brochure that Pound lent him and thanks Pound for interview.6. Autographed Letter Signed by Pound to Dr. Winfred Overholser, the Superintendent of Saint Elizabeths, dated October 14, 1954, 1 p., in which Pound berates Dr. Overholser for granting Rosenzweig an interview, despite Pound's initial refusal of same.7. Autograph note from Dr. Overholser as a cover letter for the Pound ALS: "For your scrapbook! WO." With mailing envelope hand addressed by Overholser, Oct. 27, 1954.8. Original typed account by Rosenzweig of his visit with Pound at Saint Elizabeths, 24 pp., with Rosenzweig's annotations. Also with 5 pp. of handwritten notes.Rosenzweig's account of his visit to Saint Elizabeths, though in fragmentary note form, makes for interesting reading, especially his observations of Pound: "Pound's appearance: Wore shorts. Hair white, long and unkempt. Beard and side whiskers all white. Very vigorous gait and handclasp. Manner actually shy under all the bluster. Wants to be friendly but as if afraid to be. ... Reminds SR [Saul Rosenzweig] of Thurber -- tall, grey penetrating eyes, tremulous sensitivity of the face. Feminine aspect with post of impetuous energy -- birdlike, with strong passivity concealed. A cross between Thurber and Shaw with a dash of Harpo Marx." Rosenzweig also pondered how his Jewishness affected Pound, a notorious anti-Semite.After the interview, Rosenzweig purchased the 1921 Pound letter. He also received from Dr. Overholser, Pound's reproving note concerning the visit: "Dear W.O., next time I send a bloke a post card requesting him NOT to call ---, in mercy, please, do NOT let the buzzard soften you up with professions of an interest in contemporary literature. Especially if he is on some other part of some beanery [?] faculty -- Cordially yours E.P. No harm done. In fact anthropological research has been advanced several inches."Many years later, in pursuit of another project, Rosenzweig contacted Sheri Martinelli, who was one of Pound's protegees (and a possible mistress) during the time he was at Saint Elizabeths. The second grouping in the archive dates from 1979 and consists of the following items:1. Typed Letter Signed from Martinelli to Rosenzweig, November 6, 1979, 1 p. A rambling letter in response to Rosenzweig's request for information on Pound and Hilda Doolittle. This note accompanied a group of papers that Martinelli sent to Rosenzweig.2. Typed Letter Signed by Martinelli to Rosenzweig, December 18, 1979, 1 p., explaining the tardiness of her reply, asking further about Rosenzweig's research, and whether his institution wants any interesting materials from her archives.3. Autographed postcard from Martinelli to Rosenzweig, December 20, 1979. Holiday greeting.4. Typed letter from Rosenzweig to Martinelli, December 27, 1979, 1 p., carbon copy. Rosenzweig thanks Martinelli for her letters and clarifies that his research is not specifically about Pound and H. D. but is a "major study of creativity." He asks that she not go to any great efforts to send him research materials.5. Photocopies of postcards, letters, and a pamphlet, from Martinelli with her handwritten notations, 6 pp.6. Program for an exhibition by Martinelli in 1964, with a notation by her on the front cover: "SR copy, Sheri."7. Unique hand-made book by Martinelli which consists of photocopied images and text, some tipped-in, with her handwritten notations (including on front cover: "SR's copy, Sheri").Sheri Martinelli was a fascinating person, though more known for knowing famous people than for being famous herself. She was an artist and a model, but mostly she served as a muse to various famous literary figures, from Ezra Pound to Anais Nin to William Gaddis, who based a major character, Esme, in his first novel The Recognitions on her ("Sheri Martinelli: A Modernist Muse" by Steven Moore, originally appearing in Gargoyle 41, Summer 1998; http://www.williamgaddis.org/recognitions/martinelli/smartinellismoore.shtml).Martinelli eagerly responded to Rosenzweig's request for information about Pound's relationship with Imagist poet Hilda Doolittle. She sent him several annotated photocopies of Pound-related items such as old postcards, a letter from Dorothy Shakespear Pound (Pound's wife) about her husband's death, a letter from Norman Holmes Pearson about H.D. (with whom Martinelli developed a relationship after Pound effectively dumped her when he left Saint Elizabeths for Italy in 1958) and a copy of a memorial pamphlet from H.D.'s funeral (1961). She also sent Rosenzweig a program from her one-woman exhibition from 1964.Perhaps the most interesting item Martinelli sent Rosenzweig is a unique, hand-made book that is part-homage to Pound and part-art monograph. The book is composed of photocopied images of Martinelli's art, including portraits of Pound, and of tipped-in photocopied images and text from various sources, with handwritten annotations. The text consists of Martinelli's own poetry and a brief piece by Allen Ginsberg about Pound's poetry. Of particular interest are two paintings of female saints by Martinelli which inspired one of Pound's Cantos. According to Moore:"In Canto 93, the two paintings Pound mentions in his introduction to her book [La Martinelli, 1956, an art monograph published by Vanni Scheiwiller at Pound's request], Lux in Diafana and Ursula Benedetta, become the subjects of the poet's prayer for compassion: Lux in diafana, Creatrix, oro. Ursula benedetta, oro (93/648)Sheri's Lux in Diafana ('light in transparency') depicts a woman's face in quarter-profile with rays of light emanating from her forehead, while the Ursula is a full-face portrait of the legendary saint. (Pound's 'benedetta' demotes her to 'Blessed.') Both paintings are idealized self-portraits."Moore also comments on this type of handmade production by Martinelli: "She continued to produce poetry and drawings, periodically gathering them up into booklets, which she would photocopy, bind with staples and masking tape, and send to friends. She apparently made no effort to publish her work through conventional channels or promote her art in any way, or apply for grants. That is, she had no interest in becoming a professional writer or artist."A most interesting archive of material relating to a trying, yet important time in Pound's life, and to one of his Muses, who, some critics say, helped him out of his depression following his incarceration at Saint Elizabeths, inspiring him in the writing of his famous Cantos.

[BTC #93409]