Letter to Douglas Watson January 1982 (page 2 of 2)

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4. (contd) My most important teachers at Northwestern and Columbia: At Northwestern Zera S. Fink, who handled my seminar work (on Wordsworth) influenced me the most--and read my poem "Sonnet for A Writer" to my seminar classmates, announcing to them, "Mr. Emanuel is a poet." I remember Arthur Nethercott for his seeming conquest of a prejudicial doubt, for he asked me at the start, knowing that I had received by B.A. at a Black university, "You do know how to write a research, don't you?" I assured him that I had written many at Howard. He gave me an A for the course (but all my teachers at Northwestern gave me A's). I remember Frederick Faverty for his wise remarks beyond the subject mater of his course in Victorian literature--and he encouraged me, too late, to do my work for the Ph.D. at Northwestern (a good but someone prejudiced university at that time, and I did not like its summary dismissal of my applica- tion for fellowship aid on the grounds that it had received "many qualified applications" otherwise--since my transcripts showed all A's from the 8th grade through the B.A. and since I needed help). I remember Joel Hunt for having read my novel, but it seems that I have mentioned him before, as well as his encouragement (and I might be confusing Hunt, who might have taught me some French--not enough for today--with the man who taught me the course in the novel, named Mayo, perhaps). At Columbia, I had most contact with Lewis Leary, whose mild manner I liked. Richard Chase was important to me in that he was mentor of my dissertation on Huges, although he seemed to know relatively little of the subject; but I knew him to be a good critic. I remember Vernon Loggins--whom I was told to see concerning my dissertation--for a particular reason; despite his ten years of labor on his The Negro Author, he apparently did not wind up with much sympathy for, or real under- standing of, Black people. My only evidence, besides some of his comments on Vincent Ogé in his book is that when I asked him about the chances of getting a part-time teaching job at the School of General Studies, which he headed, I believe, at that time, he replied, "Why don't you try Howard University?" (I have wandered from the subject, so I will end it here.)

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Typed letter to Douglas Watson from James Emanuel, dated January 10, 1982. Emanuel responds to Watson's inquires from a previous letter. (Page 2)

  • type
    Image
  • created on
  • file format
    jpg
  • file size
    17 MB
  • container title
    James A. Emanuel Papers
  • creator
    James A. Emanuel
  • issue
    Box 4 Folder 7, Watson, Douglas, 1981-1993
  • rights
    James A. Emanuel Estate
  • rights holder
    James A. Emanuel Estate
  • version
    10-Jan-82