Letter from Wallace Fowlie, August 6, 1989

Letter from Wallace Fowlie (1908-1998) at Chapel Hill to Erik France, August 6, 1989.

Dear Erik,

Your letter cheered me. I have been in the retirement center almost two months and am still bewildered by the great change it means. I miss my home (of 25 years) and my books (I had to sell 3000 books). I am trying to reorder my life but it is hard. I feel cast off from the Duke world.

I hope you will come visit me. your letter is full of good things you are doing: Proust in particular. Elstir is an invention but it is surely based on Whistler, a painter who used to call on Mallarmé. Elstir has something of Renoir in him, and Monet, and Seurat, and others. 

Was the German film you and Liz and Evan saw Céleste? I enjoyed it very much. Swann in Love has Jermey Irons playing Swann (a German director).

La Règle du jeu (Rules of the Game) is a masterpiece -- I agree.

Friday night I had dinner at Ann Marie Bryan's and met your friend and colleague Stuart (and his wife Claire.)  A most pleasant evening. We spoke of you.

Is Hurdle Mills far off? I hope not.

all good wishes, Erik
Wallace