Letter from John G. Neihardt to Lucile Aly, May 10, 1963

5-10-6'3 Dear Lucile:

Here's another note that has occurred to me often. I may have expressed it to you:
A poet who lives long and continues to develop should come to regard poetry as a way of seeing and understanding, anda way of being, rather than a way of writing, a mode of expression. (I believe I reached this stage some years ago, and I feel that my success here at the University is explained by the fact.

(I don't really dislike you very much - do I?)

John

I've been listening to my TV programs on The Song of the Messiah. The stuff seems very beautiful to me after all these years since I wrote it. I hope you are as well acquainted with it as with The Wars.

-J.

Just back from hearing me in the Messiah on TV. Something pleasant happened today. The Instructional TV sent out questionaires to all TV classes. The last question in my questionaire wanted to know what the student felt he or she had gotten from the course. The replies gladdened my heart. I read them this afternoon.

John