Eric Sams   The Making of an Essay Letters on Schumann to and from Alan Walker

19. 

29 March 1971

Dear Alan,

Thanks for letting me see the relevant page.

   And naturally I'll keep quiet about the ghost; silent as the grave, in fact.

   I think your text is a bit bedevilled by the fact that the source of the original quotation from Schumann's letters strikes me as rather dubious. I've put down what my own original German source says; but it seemed to necessitate recasting the argument somewhat. So I've attempted to do that, in the interest of being helpful. At least, that's the intention.

   Finally, here's some terrible news for you; I've finished your song-chapter. So it's all over now bar the shouting, and the typing, which after the appropriate interval will no doubt cone from you and my wife, respectively.

   My nice friend Brian Schlobel is no end pleased, and flattered, to be allowed to contribute to your Symposium. He tells me he's so impressed with you and your other editorial work that he'd be prepared to do it for free. I implored him to make the first of those prints by all means, but not the second – but apparently too late.

   Yours ever Eric