Collection of books by Miriam Waddington, with letters, almost all inscribed for Helen Duffy.
Oxford. Duffy, Helen. Softcover. Signed. Very Good. Item #43483
An exceptional archival look at a long artistic friendship between Miriam Waddington and Helen Duffy, as they frequently collaborated, which included a series of Duffy's drawings that were framed with Waddington's poems as an exhibit for the Merton Gallery in 1977, and Duffy drew many of Waddington's book covers. The letters and newspaper clippings provide a great insight into the affectionate nature of the friendship, which spanned close to four decades. Books included: [1]The Glass Trumpet. Inscribed to Helen Duffy: "London, 1969. To Helen, a sentimental artist, with love from Miriam." [2] Say Yes. Inscribed to Helen Duffy: "For Helen and Bob-with love and nostalgia from Miriam. Toronto, September 1969." An additional annotation appears on the first poem in the collection, "Understanding snow," which reads "For Helen-who understands it." [3] Driving Home. Inscribed to Helen Duffy: "For Helen and Robert Duffy of London and Toronto. With love from Miriam, October 1972, Toronto." [4] Dream Telescope. Anvil Press Poetry, 1972. 24 pp [5] The Price of Gold. Inscribed to Helen Duffy: "For dear Helen who found the old chair-with love from Miriam, August 1976." [6] The Visitants. Oxford University Press, 1981. 80 pp. [7] Apartment Seven: Essays Selected and New. Inscribed to Helen Duffy: "For the wonderful imaginative meticulous flower-loving artist Helen Duffy and her husband Robert who has his own secret and wonderful virtues-with fond love from their friend Miriam. April 30/91, Lyme Regis." [8] The Last Landscape. Inscr. to Helen Duffy: "For dear Helen, the sole and only begetter of the cover drawing-with much love from your friend Miriam. May 1992, in Paris but as from Toronto." Documents and letters include: [1] An undated copy of "Transition" by Miriam Waddington. "Transition" was previously published in 1969, and collected in The Collected Poems of Miriam Waddington: A Critical Edition. Ed. Ruth Panofsky. University of Ottawa Press, 2014. The copy was purchased for $240 as a pen and ink drawing by Helen Duffy from the Merton Gallery at 68 Merton Street, Toronto, ON. [2] January 8, 1969: An airmail letter from Miriam to Helen. The letter thanks Helen for recent artwork she had sent to Miriam, and details Miriam's recent friendship with a married, "warm-hearted French Canadian" who was not an intellectual, and then vents about the stereotypical intellectual man. [3] September 19, 1969: Letter from Miriam to Helen. Describes a trip back to Don Mills, Ontario, and expresses her love for Helen's drawings: "I'm glad I have your drawing of The Spanish Trees-I'll get it framed as soon as I have time to shop. Yes-I will recognize the snow in your next work-though such 'presences' (wonderful word) are not easy to detect." The discussion of snow is perhaps a reference to Waddington's inscriptions in Say Yes, in which Waddington inscribed the first poem of the collection, "Understanding Snow," as with "For Helen-who understands it," which was also inscribed in September 1969. [4] May 21, 1971: Letter from Miriam to Helen on York University letterhead. Clearly indicates how close the relationship was between the two; Miriam writes that she feels "lucky to hear [Duffy] talk" and that "when [she] read[s] [her] [she] feel[s] again that sense of instant rapport at a very fundamental level." [5] 1974: A typed copy of "Old Chair Song," with the date 1974 added in pen by Waddington. "Old Chair Song" was first published in 1976 in The Price of Gold, and is alluded to in Waddington's inscription to Duffy. [6] March 29, 1977: Newspaper clipping, "Two writers will share $1,000 prize," Ken Adachi, The Toronto Star. Includes an advertisement for the Merton Gallery showing of Waddington's poems, which were "written on some superb drawings by artist Helen Duffy. [with 11 other letters and documents, details available on request.].
Price (CAD): $500.00