Bishop’s next letter to Grace is dated 26 August 1961, just
two weeks after the last one. It was prompted by the receipt of a letter from
her aunt dated 13 August, written just a day after Bishop’s last, so they
crossed en route. She was at Samabaia where they had gone “for the week-end
last night.” She had found Grace’s letter “at the P.O.” It took less than two
weeks to make the journey, surely not that long considering the distance. The
content of Grace’s letter and the fact that she was up in the mountains away
from Rio, a place where she could relax more
easily, meant Bishop had the time and inclination to respond at length and this
letter was the longest she wrote since January.
Because of the cross purposes of the sending and receiving,
news often required reiteration and clarification. Bishop realized that she
hadn’t been “clear enough in my letter,” that she was “going to come to see you
no matter where you are — either Montreal
or N.S.” For Bishop, “one is just as easy as the other … in fact Montreal is easier, I
suppose.” It was only “1½ hours by plane from N.Y.” to Montreal. Mary Bulmer Ross lived there, so
Grace would be visiting her younger sister. The timing for this possible visit would
have to work around Mary’s own visit to Brazil, which was taking place
towards the end of September or early October. Bishop’s trip to New York City was
tentatively scheduled for sometime in October. Bishop urged Grace to “by all
means go” to Montreal,
if you feel like going.” She clearly was factoring in a visit, a prospect that
made the New York
sojourn more palatable.
Bishop had also heard from Aunt Mary, who said “you have lots
of friends near her there.” Prompting Bishop to think that going to Montreal “might be more of
a rest than staying at home,” where she was involved with Phyllis’s busy
family, and a host of relatives.
Bishop reiterated that she would “have to work hard with
that damned LIFE magazine for about three weeks, probably,” but assured Grace
that she would “fly up to spend a few days with you wherever you may be,” once
the work was done, “as soon as I can.”
The other plans for the New York
trip were also rather up in the air, Bishop noting that “Lota said she wouldn’t
come to the US
with me,” because “the exchange is dreadful.” Bishop was hoping, however, that
Lota would “change her mind” because she would “need her moral support while
‘revising’ my little book.” The fact that “an old friend of mine” had offered
“her and her husband’s studio apartment in Greenwich Village” (this was LorenMacIvor and Lloyd Frankenberg*), as “they are in Europe,”
made Bishop hope even more that Lota would reconsider because it meant “a big
saving.” Bishop’s own travel was covered as well, so all these inducements made
Bishop “hope Lota will come.” Lota herself had friends “near N.Y.,” who she
could visit while Bishop went to Canada.
(Loren MacIvor)
Even if Bishop and Grace could have talked directly, there
were so many factors to consider in these plans that it took several more
months for them to set up, and in the end, things did not turn out as expected
or desired. One of the factors was Grace’s health herself. Bishop confirmed
that she had got her aunt’s “first letter about the operation,” and was
“relieved to hear at least it wasn’t any worse,” even as it was “bad enough,
all right.” She wondered if Grace had “to keep going back for tests, etc? — I
imagine so.” She again urged her beloved aunt to “take care of yourself,” and
concluded this part of the letter with “Thank God it wasn’t any worse.”
With all of this travel reiterating and clarifying done,
Bishop shifted to that other aunt of infamous distinction: Florence. The next post will update that
situation and upsetting news about little Miriam.
(*Note: Bishop had known Loren MacIvor, a painter, and Lloyd
Frankenberg, a poet, for many years. They lived on Perry St. in Greenwich Village in a storied home. Click here to read more — keep reading
this interesting article and Bishop will appear.)
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