36 H P M
31 August 1974
My dear Derek,
The Dublin papers didn't arrive
yesterday. The newsagents muttered
something about 'a strike.'. As one might
expect. So I cdn't get an I.T.
I did pick up the latest HIB. They
print my Keith Doyglas piece on their
first review page and include me in their
notes on contributors: "Ulster poet
living in London." Fair enough.
Latest H.U. arrived yesterday,a
big 'double' issue. It contained a
vicious attack on my friend Denis xxxxxx
Ireland's "From the Belfast Jungle" by
none other than J. Simmons - he founded
the H.U., as you know. Poor old Denis,
who was 80 recently,will be upset. He had
a hell of a job getting the book pub-
lished and I for one think it's really
good - parts of it,esp his boyhood
memories of Belfast upper-class society,
brilliant. Simmons takes Hewitt and
Ormsby (H.U. editor) to task for praising
the book elsewhere and tells them they
shouldn't review every book that comes
