Collected poems. Lothian Publishing Co. Pty. Ltd. Melbourne, 1934

Component identifier:

Item 30

Content Summary:

Limited edition. No.39 of 55 copies on large paper. Rod buckram. Each copy signed by the poet. This copy contains stanza from Song be Delicate in the poet's autograph, written on page facing his portrait frontispiece.

Inserted: An autograph note (2pp, unsigned) from A.G.S. to Neilson: "Yours with 'The Eleventh Moon'. I send a typed copy for you to look at again. Is there a slang use of 'wool-gathering' - or is it your own? You see what it implies - not that I mind. Don't get too mystical and cloudy - or not all the time: your dream may go so deep that people awake can't follow. Or suppose you try a quick piece like 'Sheedy' for a change now and then. And after that just write as you feel: it may spoil you to take advice". A.G.S. continues with long commentary upon Fitzgerald and Omar. The poem The Eleventh Moon appears at page 3.

Typewritten letter (4pp, n.d.) to Neilson from Mrs Constance Robertson (daughter of A.G.S.) suggesting a list of poems to be printed in the collected edition, and offering to do the selecting and editing for the volume. She mentions her own, and her father's, admiration for Neilson's poetry, and expresses her wish to see the volume worthy of both of them. Neilson had proposed that James Devaney should write the foreword. In her opinion: "He is a good man in his way, but I do not think a preface from him would carry much weight from a selling point of view. Nor do I think A.G.'s professor [who?] would be much better. Think again, and I'll also offer some suggestions". Finally R.H. Croll wrote the foreword, and selected the contents.

Names:

John Shaw Neilson

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