What a shock when I opened my mailbox this morning. As Bernard says in
his message, Burt was a giant, not only in the field of modern(ist)
poetry, but also a very gentle giant as a person: I remember how at my
first Pound Conference at Rapallo in 2005 he was a very approachable
sort of person, and it was great fun having lunch with him. And I was
very honoured last year in Venice when I found out I was to share a
panel with him. I hope that Demetres will be able to produce that
collection of essays.

A sad day.

Peter Liebregts
Leiden
The Netherlands 

-----Original Message-----
From: - Ezra Pound discussion list of the University of Maine
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tryphonopoulos, Demetres
Sent: woensdag 23 januari 2008 0:40
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Announcement: Burt Hatlen passes away on 21 January 2008

Dear Bernard,

Yes, it's very sad. I am very sorry myself that I did not get to see him
one more time:
I was to drive to Orono in mid-December, but the weather got nasty and I
did not make it.  Then, I was planning to call him upon my return from
Ontario in early January, but did not get around to it until they wrote
to me from the NPF office to let me know that he was dying.

I also had a conversation with him about his essays and, in fact, he
asked me last summer to help him with putting them together. I do plan
to speak with his wife at some point in the spring or the summer about
this, and hopefully I can put something together.

More than anything I will miss his friendship and the gentle but firm
way he had in making his various arguments about so many of those poets
he knew personally.

All best,

Demetres

Quoting bernard dew <[log in to unmask]>:

> Christ Demetres..!!!!
> 
> i was just thinking of Burt yesterday and wanted to ask how he was 
> feeling.. i'm so sad about this.. he told me in the summer how he had 
> hoped to gather his essays together for one 'final' publication..
> 
> thanks for passing this news..  what a giant
> 
> respects
> 
> b
> 
> On 22-Jan-08, at 10:52 AM, Tryphonopoulos, Demetres wrote:
> 
> > Dear Poundians,
> >
> > It is with great sadness that I send along the news to Poundians 
> > around the globe that my good friend and colleague Burt Hatlen 
> > passed away yesterday afternoon (21 January
> > 2008) at a Bangor, Maine hospital.  As many of you will know, Burt 
> > had been undergoing chemotherapy and was unable to fight off the 
> > pneumonia that brought him to the hospital a week or so ago.
> >
> > At the time of his death, Burt was surrounded by family, including 
> > his wife Virginia and his daughters Julia and Inger.  Though the 
> > family wishes for privacy at the moment, I am certain that sympathy 
> > cards would be appreciated.  For those of you who wish to write, 
> > here is the address: Virginia Nees-Hatlen, 491A College Avenue, 
> > Orono, Maine 04473.
> >
> > Those of you who would like to say something about Burt and his life

> > as a scholar, editor, conference organizer, friend and promoter of 
> > contemporary poets and of younger scholars may address their 
> > comments to me and I'll make sure that they are presented to 
> > Virginia and his daughters-better yet, such comments may be send to 
> > all through this list.
> >
> > The family will have a private memorial, with a more public event 
> > planned for this summer or fall.  An obituary will be published in 
> > the Bangor Daily News tomorrow or the next day at 
> > http://www.bangordailynews.com/; it will include information about 
> > Burt's wishes for memorial donations.
> >
> > I myself have known Burt for approximately twenty years and am very 
> > sad to lose, above all else, his good humor, his modest but sure way

> > of representing himself and his ideas about literature, and-above 
> > all-his immense knowledge and range in matters pertaining to 
> > modernist and contemporary poetry.  In some important ways, he is 
> > responsible for the way we have been thinking about and discussing 
> > modernist and contemporary poetry over the past couple of decades.
> >
> > Demetres P. Tryphonopoulos
> >
> > Dr. Demetres P. Tryphonopoulos
> > A/Dean, School of Graduate Studies
> > Professor, Department of English
> > Book Review Editor, Paideuma: Studies in American and British 
> > Modernist Poetry University of New Brunswick Sir Howard Douglas 
> > Hall, Room 317
> > 3 Bailey Drive
> > Fredericton, N.B.
> > Canada E3B 5A3
> > Tel.: 506-453-4673
> > Fax: 506-453-4817
> > E-mail: [log in to unmask]
> 


Dr. Demetres P. Tryphonopoulos
A/Dean, School of Graduate Studies
Professor, Department of English
Book Review Editor, Paideuma: Studies in American and British Modernist
Poetry University of New Brunswick Sir Howard Douglas Hall, Room 317
3 Bailey Drive
Fredericton, N.B.
Canada E3B 5A3
Tel.: 506-453-4673
Fax: 506-453-4817
E-mail: [log in to unmask]