Volume 4, Number 8 · May 20, 1965
Love, Squalor
By George R. Clay, Reply by Bernard Bergonzi
In response to New Fiction
(April 22, 1965)
To the Editors:
Someone ought to point out, ever so gently, to Bernard Bergonzi that "Love? Squalor?" R. V. Cassill's story about an obliging British deb named Mesmé, just may be a take-off on Salinger's "For Esmé With Love and Squalor," and not meant to be taken on quite so huffily.
George R. Clay
Arlington, Vermont
Bernard Bergonzi replies:
One could hardly read a title like "Love? Squalor?" without realizing that some kind of allusion to Salinger is intended. But it didn't strike me as at all a good parody, and in any case the story had evident pretensions of its own which suggested that Mr. Cassill was getting out of his depth.