Pleasure hearing from you, my good man. ‘Twas also my delight to finally download and listen over your masterful “Songs About God” (I was reading over some Ransom recently & remembered your piece. Splendid job indeed).

As for your recommendation for my next Percy read, I do hope that the new year finds me reading The Last Gentleman (though only The Thanatos Syndrome, Lost in the Cosmos, Signposts in a Strange Land, and The Message in the Bottle have made it into my library thus far), but as for now, I’m charging full speed through Dostoevsky’s The Idiot. Do keep me posted on that Percy documentary- the website was severely lacking in helpful information.

As for Auden, alas, I only read your comments after the holiday season had passed, but Erin & I purchased a book of his that should arrive shortly. I take your recommendations strongly.

Here’s to the future Mr. & Mrs. Lee and seeing you in 2010,

Matt

First of all, congratulations to you and Erin on you marriage. Lauren and I are truly excited for you, and send our best wishes ‘cross the miles.

Of far lesser import: I commend you for continuing on the Percy track, despite your lukewarm feelings toward LitR. (random aside: did you ever take Brit Lit with Mrs. Rathjen at Walton? she was all about abbreviating book titles with the first letters of each word, acrostic-style.)

Anyhoo, might I recommend some of Percy’s other works - The Last Gentleman, Lancelot, The Second Coming (but don’t read this one ’til you’ve read TLG), and Lost in the Cosmos.

I personally enjoyed LitR, but I can see how it wasn’t the best follow-up to TM. I became (and remain) so enchanted with his writings, that I took it upon myself to read his novels chronologically in the order in which they were published. This made for a most-satisfying way of going about his catalog, as I felt like I had a handle of how his writings both changed and remained over time, as well as how he adapted to current events of the late 60s and early 70s.

I wholeheartedly endorse his other novels, and I think that you might find any one of those that I mentioned to be superior to LitR, which is a bit of a detour for him, in many respects. (His final novel, The Thanatos Syndrome, is similar in certain regards.)

On a semi-related note, I have just learned of a forthcoming WP documentary. Here’s a link to the trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4DEswJYrsg

I’ve exchanged e-mails with the director, and it sounds like an interesting project, so stay tuned.

Last but not least: have you read W.H. Auden’s For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio? If not, run - don’t walk - to the local library and read it before the 25th. It’s turning my world on its ear (in a good way).

Advent blessings to you and your bride,

JSD