Collecte Works (60 page)

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Authors: Lorine Niedecker

The first version of the poem appears in EA without the subtitle and with the following variants (listed by section numeral):

I, stanza 2, line 5: of society's

I, stanza 5, line 4: I'd be now a rich man

I, stanza 6, lines 2-4:

  Item—I work in—sabots

  and blouse

  in the dye-house

I, stanza 7, line 3: I enjoy the indigo vats

II, stanza 1, line 2: by religion—slow

III, stanza 2, line 1:
growing here—Please do not mow

In
Origin
ser. 3, 19 (Oct. 1970): 51-53, with the following variants:

I, stanza 2, line 5: of society's

I, stanza 5, line 4: I'd be now a rich man

I, stanza 6, line 3: and blouse—

The
Origin
version serves as copytext for
BC
(1976).

LN to CC, May 7, 1969: “I'm absorbed in writing poems—sequence—on William Morris. I know how to evaluate—Ruskin, etc., their kind of socialism—paternalism—but the letters of William Morris have thrown me. Title will be His Carpets Flowered. I can't read his poems. I'd probably weary of all those flowery designs in carpets, wall papers, chintzes…but as a man, as a poet speaking to his daughters and his wife—o lovely” (
BYHM
188).

DARWIN
       Unpublished [VV, H&SF].

Completed Aug. 18-24, 1970 (
BYHM
230-31). VV excerpts only the following:

His holy

          slowly

                    mulled over

matter

LN gave Gail and Bonnie Roub an undated draft of
“DARWIN”
(possibly in Aug. 1970) with the following variants (listed by section numeral):

III, stanza 3:

the earthquake—

        Talcahuana Bay drained out—

                 an all-water wall

thrown up from the ocean

III, stanza 4, lines 1-2:

Six seconds

           and the town demolished

III, stanza 8, lines 2-3:

Penguins and seals

           those cold-sea creatures

III, stanza 9, line 1: For FitzRoy it was Hell

IV, stanza 3, line 1: Brought Drosera home

IV, stanza 4, line 4: till he published it

V, stanza 2:

Tierra del Fuego's

         shining glaciers—

                      translucent blue

         clear down to the indigo sea

V, stanza 3, line 3: that anyone should care

V, stanza 6, line 4: with the details left

V, stanza 7, line 1: to the working out of chance

CC's transcription of the tape recording was published posthumously in
BC
(1976) and in
Montemora
2 (Summer 1976). A collation of the Roub draft and the tape recording was subsequently published in
Origin
ser. 4, 1 (Oct. 1977): 54-58.

Prose and Radio Plays

1937

UNCLE
       Unpublished in book form.

New Directions
2 (1937): n.p. Much of the story is autobiographical: the characters of Great Uncle Gotlieb and Great Aunt Riecky Beefelbein are based on LN's maternal grandparents, the Kunzes. The “two hundred acres owned by the family” is a reference to the property on Black Hawk Island that passed from the Kunzes to Henry and Daisy Niedecker at the time of their marriage. The character of Uncle John has some of Henry Niedecker in him: his ownership of the hotel, his carp fishing, his sale of the land, and his too-generous nature. The character of Matty is partly based on the neurasthenic Daisy Niedecker.

1951—1952

SWITCHBOARD GIRL
       Unpublished in book form.

The first trace of this prose piece is the poem MS “Titillated flip Switchboard girl,” dated Feb. 27, 1951.

Titillated flip switchboard girl

on the tide of the red-lit plug-in are you high

with those whose bag is full—“Get me a single”

“Good, I like to sleep close”—or low with those

who must be jazzed Honeypot switchboard girl

hand em your line they'll slip you more nylons

than you can use Yes Go ahead switchboard lust

takes love out of life Lewd sings cuckoo

A second draft is dated March 5, 1951:

Are you high

with those whose bag is full—

“Get me a single”

“Good, I like to sleep close”—

or low

with those who must be jazzed

honeypot

switchboard girl

hand em your line

they'll slip you more

nylons

than you can use

yes

go ahead

lewd sings cuckoo

The prose MS
“SWITCHBOARD GIRL,”
dated April 16, 1951, has the following variants: par. 3: “in America they gear civilization to the seventeen-year-old” replaces the present “in America…to the seventeen-year-old”, and six lines from the end:

“Whom did they say they wanted? Somebody by the name of Christ.”

“Human materiel obsolescing. Boy, pass the blood.”

replaces the present “What was the name…obsolescing.”

New Directions
13 (1951): 87-89.

The piece relates her search for a job when her poor eyesight made proofreading too difficult.

The evening's automobiles…           Unpublished.

MS dated June 15, 1951, with appended “Notes” addressed to LZ:

all about the virgin is out! Too pretentious—you saw that.

No title as yet—your “The Evening's Automobiles”—well, something like that along line of
moving
, something that has to do with mind moving so as to unite all time etc…

or: ‘Brute Goodness’ or Renaissance…

I feel queer too as a man! I could print it under a man's name! No.

1. “Why should we honour those that die upon the field of battle a man may show as reckless a courage in entering into the abyss of himself.” (This is Yeats, but I wdn't credit him, I guess?) [Refers to p. 338, line 25.]

2. It was abrupt you said with just saying “and said”—I don't feel that's so—it wouldn't be in poetry necessarily. But maybe you like this better. [Refers to p. 339, line 12.]

3. Some things in life are not credible as fiction! She actually did carry milk bottles for that purpose, she said. A great many things about her I can't tell—just wouldn't be believed. [Refers to p. 340, lines 1-2.]

4. I've used spaces to give the eye the confusion in her mind. [Refers to p. 340, lines 20-25.]

5. Here's my “brute goodness,” won't use it if I use it as title. [Refers to p. 341, line 4.]

6. This maybe I'd better omit—she was socially unacceptable, taking a laxative and then f—ting all afternoon. Or it could be interpreted differently and melt in with the rest of that paragraph's horror. [Refers to p. 341, lines 4-7.]

Nevermind spelling—my dictionary says dead line, two words—I always look [up] everything before I send em out [ ]

Thanks—I know you're busy [ ]
Lorine               

This piece adopts a male persona but the content is thinly veiled autobiography. It begins as LN leaves her job at Hoard's and returns home to Black Hawk Island.

AS I LAY DYING
       
Unpublished.

A 17-page radio script of William Faulkner's
As I Lay Dying.

MS dated Jan. 11, 1952. A page of revisions dated Jan. 28, 1952.

LN to LZ, Jan. 23, 1952: “I don't write a terribly conventional radio script (not good radio they'll say) because I like to take hunks from the printed page and plunk em down in radio” (
NCZ
188-89).

from
TASTE AND TENDERNESS
       Unpublished.

A typescript of the complete two-act script for radio about the James family went to LZ for Valentine's Day in 1952.

Only Act 1, scene 3 survives in MS sent to Dahlberg on Aug. 30, 1955.

LN to LZ, Feb. 14, 1952: “Radio
should
be a good medium for poetry—speech without practical locale. Stage with all its costumes and place and humans tripping about too distracting sometimes. Poetry and poetic drama—suggestion—the private printed page plus sound and silence” (
NCZ
191).

CONTENTS LISTS THAT DIFFER FROM ORDER IN THIS VOLUME

Listed here are the contents of those collections—published or unpublished—that are not represented in the text in their original sequence. Alternate titles and first lines are enclosed in brackets.

My Friend Tree (Edinburgh: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1961)

My friend tree

You are my friend—

The young ones go away to school

There's a better shine

Black Hawk held: In reason

I'm a sharecropper

Remember my little granite pail?

Paul/when the leaves

Along the river

Old man who seined

Don't shoot the rail!

He built four houses

Not feeling well, my wood uncut.

My man says the wind blows from the south,

Well, spring overflows the land,

The clothesline post is set

“HOMEMADE POEMS”

(Gift-book for Cid Corman, Oct. 1964)

Consider at the outset:

Ah, your face—

Alcoholic dream

To my pres- /sure pump

March

Something in the water

Santayana's

If only my friend

Frog noise/suddenly stops

Laundromat

In the transcendence

Is there someone [To whom]

Margaret Fuller

Watching dan-/cers on skates

Hospital Kitchen

Chicory flower/on campus

Fall
(“Early morning corn”)

LZ's

Ian's [Letter from Ian]

Some float off on chocolate bars

I knew a clean man

Scythe

So he said/on radio

I visit/the graves

For best work

The radio talk this morning [The obliteration]

Spring

The park/“a darling walk/for the mind”

Who was Mary Shelley?

Ruskin found wild strawberries [Wild strawberries]

“HANDMADE POEMS”

(Gift-book for Jonathan Williams, Xmas 1964)

Consider at the outset:

Ah, your face

Alcoholic dream

Something in the water

To my pres- /sure pump

Laundromat

Santayana's

If only my friend

Frog noise / suddenly stops

In the transcendence

Margaret Fuller

Watching dan- /cers on skates

Chicory flower/on campus

Fall (“Early morning corn”)

LZ's

Ian's [Letter from Ian]

Some float off on chocolate bars

I knew a clean man

Spring

The park/“a darling walk/for the mind”

Who was Mary Shelley?

So he said/on radio

Scythe

The radio talk this morning

Wild strawberries

“HANDMADE POEMS”

(Gift-book for Louis Zukofsky, Xmas 1964)

Consider at the outset:

Ah, your face

Alcoholic dream

To my pres- /sure pump

Laundromat

March

Something in the water

Santayana's

If only my friend

Frog noise /suddenly stops

In the transcendence

Someone?—[To whom]

Margaret Fuller

Watching dan- /cers on skates

Hospital Kitchen

Chicory flower/on campus

Fall
(“Early morning corn”)

LZ's

Ian's [Letter from Ian]

Some float off on chocolate bars

I knew a clean man

Spring

The park/“a darling walk/for the mind”

Who was Mary Shelley?

Wild strawberries

T&G: The Collected Poems

(1936-1966)
(Penland, N.C.:

The Jargon Society, 1969)

 

NEW GOOSE/MY FRIEND TREE

There's a better shine

My friend tree

Black Hawk held: In reason

Remember my little granite pail?

Ash woods, willow, close to shore,

Audubon

Gen. Rodimstev's story/(Stalingrad)

Bombings

My coat threadbare

She had tumult of the brain

To see the man who took care of our stock

The museum man!

Mr. Van Ess bought 14 washcloths?

We know him—Law and Order League—

Don't shoot the rail!

Not feeling well, my wood uncut.

Grampa's got his old age pension,

My man say the wind blows from the south,

Asa Gray wrote Increase Lapham:

I'm a sharecropper

That woman!—eyeing houses.

van Gogh

The clothesline post is set

He built four houses

Well, spring overflows the land,

Pioneers

Old man who seined

You are my friend—

Along the river

FOR PAUL

Nearly landless and on the way to water

What bird would light

Dear Paul:

O Tannenbaum

Dear Paul /now six years old:

Some have chimes

If he is of constant depth

Tell me a story about the war.

Laval, Pomeret, Pétain

How bright you'll find young people,

Not all that's heard is music. We leave

The young ones go away to school

Paul/when the leaves

BALLADS

Sorrow moves in wide waves,

Old Mother turns blue and from us

He lived—childhood summers

A student

In Europe they grow a new bean while here

What horror to awake at night

Depression years

European Travel/(Nazi New Order)

Don't tell me property is sacred!

You know, he said, they used to make

Wartime

Brought the enemy down

To Paul now old enough to read:

Keen and lovely man moved as in a dance

I knew a clean man

Jesse James and his brother Frank

Who was Mary Shelley?

THE YEARS GO BY

In the great snowfall before the bomb

Swept snow, Li Po,

March

Two old men—

My father said I remember

Dead

Mother is dead

The graves

He moved in light

Shut up in woods

To Aeneas who closed his piano

I am sick with the Time's buying sickness.

Hi, Hot-and-Humid

Horse, hello

Energy glows at the lips—

Happy New Year

I've been away from poetry

On hearing/the wood pewee

I rose from marsh mud,

February almost March bites the cold.

IN EXCHANGE FOR HAIKU

Hear

How white the gulls

New-sawed

Springtime's wide

Lights, lifts

Beautiful girl—

July, waxwings

If only my friend

Popcorn-can cover

O late fall

People, people—

HOME/WORLD

My life is hung up

Get a load

Easter

Dusk—

River-marsh-drowse

Linnaeus in Lapland

In Leonardo's light

Art Center

Club 26

My mother saw the green tree toad

The men leave the car

Something in the water

Now in one year

Watching dan- /cers on skates

Letter from Ian

As I paint the street

Grandfather
[Poet's work]

The Badlands

To foreclose

To my small/electric pump

I visit/the graves

Scythe

Fall
(“Early morning corn”)

Chicory flower/on campus

The wild and wavy event

Bird singing

CHURCHILL'S DEATH

To my pres- /sure pump

Consider at the outset:

Alcoholic dream

Some float off on chocolate bars

Spring

As praiseworthy

The park/“a darling walk/for the mind”

My Life by Water:
Collected Poems, 1936-1968

(London: Fulcrum Press, 1970)

 

MY LIFE BY WATER

My Life by Water

PAEAN TO PLACE

NEW GOOSE AND MY FRIEND TREE

There's a better shine

My friend tree

Along the river

Black Hawk held: In reason

Remember my little granite pail?

My coat threadbare

She had tumult of the brain

Ash woods, willow, close to shore,

Audubon

Gen. Rodimstev's story/(Stalingrad)

Bombings

To see the man who took care of our stock

The museum man!

Mr. Van Ess bought 14 washcloths?

Don't shoot the rail!

Asa Gray wrote Increase Lapham:

Not feeling well, my wood uncut.

Grampa's got his old age pension,

My man says the wind blows from the south,

I'm a sharecropper

We know him—Law and Order League—

That woman!—eyeing houses.

van Gogh

The clothesline post is set

He built four houses

Well, spring overflows the land,

Pioneers

Old man who seined

You are my friend—

FOR PAUL

Nearly landless and on the way to water

What bird would light

Dear Paul:

O Tannenbaum

Paul/now six years old:

Some have chimes

If he is of constant depth

Laval, Pomeret, Pétain

Tell me a story about the war.

How bright you'll find young people,

Not all that's heard is music. We leave

The young ones go away to school

Paul/when the leaves

BALLADS

Sorrow moves in wide waves,

Old Mother turns blue and from us,

What horror to awake at night

To Paul now old enough to read:

In Europe they grow a new bean

European Travel/(Nazi New Order)

Depression years

Wartime

Brought the enemy down

Jesse James and his brother Frank

A student

Keen and lovely man moved as in a dance

He lived—childhood summers

You know, he said, they used to make

Don't tell me property is sacred!

Who was Mary Shelley?

I knew a clean man

THE YEARS GO BY

In the great snowfall before the bomb

Swept snow, Li Po,

March

Two old men—

My father said “I remember

Dead

Mother is dead

The graves

I've been away from poetry

He moved in light

I rose from marsh mud,

On hearing/the wood pewee

My mother saw the green tree toad

Shut up in woods

To Aeneas who closed his piano

I am sick with the Time's buying sickness.

Hi, Hot-and-Humid

Horse, hello

Energy glows at the lips—

February almost March bites the cold.

I lost you to water, summer

Birds' mating-fight

Happy New Year

T. E. Lawrence

IN EXCHANGE FOR HAIKU

Hear

How white the gulls

New-sawed

Popcorn-can cover

Beautiful girl—

Lights, lifts

If only my friend

O late fall

Springtime's wide

July, waxwings

People, people—

HOME /WORLD

My life is hung up

Easter

Get a load

Now in one year

Dusk—

Something in the water

River-marsh-drowse

Letter from Ian

The wild and wavy event

Linnaeus in Lapland

Club 26

Art Center

In Leonardo's light

The men leave the car

Bird singing

As praiseworthy

Watching dan-/cers on skates

As I paint the street

Some float off on chocolate bars

Poet's work

To my pres- /sure pump

The Badlands

Chicory flower/on campus

They've lost their leaves

Sky

Nothing to speak of

I visit/the graves

To my small/electric pump

To foreclose

Scythe

Alcoholic dream

Consider at the outset:

Alone

Alliance

CHURCHILL'S DEATH

The park/“a darling walk/for the mind”

Swedenborg

Young in Fall I said: the birds

Spring

 

NORTH CENTRAL

LAKE SUPERIOR

TRACES OF LIVING THINGS

WINTERGREEN RIDGE

“The Earth and Its
Atmosphere”MS (June 1969)

There's a better shine

My friend tree

Black Hawk held: In reason

Along the river

Remember my little granite pail?

She had tumult of the brain

Don't shoot the rail!

Not feeling well, my wood uncut.

My man says the wind blows from the south,

To see the man who took care of our stock

That woman!—eyeing houses.

The graves

from
Pioneers

Ash woods, willows close to shore,

The museum man!

van Gogh

The clothesline post is set

Well, spring overflows the land,

He built four houses

February almost March bites the cold.

Old man who seined

You are my friend—

IN EXCHANGE FOR HAIKU

   Hear

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