Elizabeth Bishop - Prose

Well — there we are. Times have changed. I have several friends who are, have been, will be, etc. insane; (I visited Pound many times)they discuss it all very freely and I’ve visited asylums many times since. But in 1916 things were different. After a couple of years, unless you cured yourself, all hope was abandoned—

I think that greatgrandfather was the only real “sea-farer”—the only one I know of. As I said, my mother’s father ran the tannery for many years. His people were farmers from “River Philip” (wherever that is! — I just remember hearing that). One of his cousins, very rustic, used to appear once or twice a year when I was small, with gifts of bear meat and venison, in sacks in the back of the buggy.

If I can think of anyone I know now in G V who might help you I’ll let you know — but it’s a long time ago. And they really wouldn’t understand your reasons, you know—

Well— adiozinho, as we say here—

Affectionately yrs, Elizabeth Bishop

P S. I don’t know much about my father except that his remaining sister, my last “Bishop” relative, who died last year, was devoted to him, and so had been all my mother’s side of the family, too. He was apparently quiet and gentle; I have a letter or two he wrote to my Bulmer grandmother, very funny and affectionate. He was tall and good-looking (neither of which characteristics he handed on to me). He liked to stay at home and read. Most of his books unfortunately were sold before I grew up, but I have a half-dozen or so. This week I have been reading his very elegant edition of “Stones of Venice”, with his bookplate, given him by two of his sisters for Christmas, 1898. What a madman! (Ruskin, I mean, not my pa—)

I don’t think I thanked you enough, really, for your invitations in England. I’ll get there around June 14th, I think, although my dates are a bit vague. I am hoping Lota can come with me but I’m afraid she’ll be flying back from Milan then — she can’t leave her park; no one does any work when she’s not on hand. I have a sailing back for August 1st, my comings and goings in England depend somewhat on some old friends I’m visiting, and I also want to get to Scotland for ten days, possibly.

I made a long automobile trip in Ireland long ago and had such a nice time I don’t think I want to go back unless I can drive around again that way. It seems to be much more popular for tourists than it was when I went. I saw just about all the coastline except for Wicklow, I think — spent a couple of weeks in Dublin, etc.—

About Brazilian politics — I see I’ve ignored your remarks without meaning to, and I shouldn’t have because people rarely take that much real interest in Brazil … There seems to be a tendency in the U S to take Brazilian leaders at their word — and their word, or words, for the last thirty years or so, haven’t been worth a penny. ENCOUNTER sent me a pamphlet by John Strachey about “Democracy”—platitudinous and simple as it is (meant for broadcasting, perhaps) he does make intelligent distinctions about “democracy”—how there is really so very little of it, and that little pretty much confined to the U S, Britain, and France (he says). The U S — from the press — seems to feel that the last two presidents here were really, underneath, democrats and liberals trying to help the poor masses, etc. — and were held back by greedy Senators and an entrenched rich greedy aristocracy. Well, they couldn’t be more wrong — but I’ve rarely been able to tell any American this, and have almost given up trying. One was a psychotic who had a breakdown—& this last was a crook. — I said several years ago he was closer to Jimmy Hoffa than anyone else — and my American friends thought I had turned “reactionary”. He has now, thank heavens, been kicked out — and has taken a huge fortune with him, and left the biggest property in land ever acquired in South America ( thisacquired by crooked deals, while he preached “land reforms”) — probably to join Peron and Franco in Spain. This is the 1st time anything quite so corrupt has happened in this now thoroughly corrupt country; the Brazilians feel ashamed, and are, in general, determined to clean things up, I think. WE (US) urge “democracy” and “anti-communism” on them for years; the minute they act on this we again turn on them and accuse them of “witch hunting”! What do we want, I wonder. April 2nd (the Day After) an important man at the US Embassy met Lota on the street and said “We don’t like your revolution!” (She had been in the Governor’s palace for 48 hours, in some real danger — while the maid and I stuck it out here at the apartment, worrying about her—)

I’m glad I wasn’t along because I really think I would have slapped him. Now the Americans are all talking in a superior way about “McCarthyism”—which is absurd, no matter what injustices — and there are some, undoubtedly — are being committed. In the 1st place this is real —(I actually met several of those Chinese spies, years ago now—& wrote my friends, who thought I was being funny ) and in the 2nd, there’s no McCarthy at all. The new government is honest, at least — Castelo Branco pretty bright, one gathers — for a general, amazingly bright — his new cabinet good, on the whole, too. But the mess is too great, the financial situation too hopeless, for any one government to clean it up. And though the entrenched aristocracy is pretty much a legend by now — there are “conservatives” who won’t give up anything at all. The worst weakness of the so-called “right” (the terms we use make no sense here) is, even when well-meaning, the gap between classes here — and the horrifying lack of feeling.

Brazilians are not civic-minded, that’s all. — Rich, religious, well-educated old families, living blameless, charitable lives by their lights, commit hideous cruelties without realizing it — sometimes just a matter of intonation. They don’t like animals, don’t understand “pets.” They’ll have three gardeners — a Picasso on the wall — a library in four languages — and throw the garbage out in the street. (As Picasso might, too! — It’s something to do with being Latin, I’m afraid — and so many of the things I like them for have the same roots, it’s hard to disentangle) They are mixtures of 17th century Portugal, “Victorian”-style 19th century family-life and sentiment, and contemporary industrialized man — this last a very small admixture that doesn’t affect the “masses” much at all — To expect them to act — overnight — or react, like the U S A, or an American of the same social or financial standing, is plain silly. — I never in my previous life dreamed for a minute that I’d be glad to have an army take over — but I have been, here, — twice now—

You see, unfortunately (I often think) I am very much involved in politics here because of Lota. — It is such a small society and her family has been prominent in diplomacy etc for generations. Carlos Lacerda (you must have read of him, by now) is an old old friend of hers, and quite a good friend of mine, too — old neighbors in the country — She is working here at his request, and I suppose we are for him (he’s running for President, and I hope wins) — in spite of many reservations, and his obvious faults. — This is a part of life I never would have had much of an idea of if I had stayed in the U S and just paid my taxes and voted, and never had come within miles of any of the real leaders.

“Industrialization” is inevitably the future for all these backward countries, no doubt. Since it is a choice of evils, apparently, for Brazil (I had hoped they’d find another, neutral way out, but I don’t think they’re strong enough to) — I’d much prefer the American variety to the Russian — which is all Russia amounts to any more, isn’t it?