Letter of the Week

Every week, on this page, we will show a different letter from a selection of letters from Paul O'Prey's books on Robert Graves correspondence In Broken Images and Between Moon and Moon.

Date: 02 AUG 1967

Recipient: Shah, Idries (1924-1996)

Location: Canellun

* * *

To Idries Shah

2 August 1967

Dearest Idries:

. . . .

It will be wonderful when you come over; and (repeat) how fortunate that you didn't come over sooner!

Juli is here with her family; she has been turned out of the Royal Ballet School on various pretexts, the truth being that she is too good a dancer and too independent—minded for a Prussian drill- school. I am helping her write a long piece about it: because the same attempt to militarize any so—called art or craft is found everywhere in England, including the medical schools; and it is only in writing and to some degree in painting (but in painting there are the galleries to fight) that real work can get accepted despite academic pressure from schools, universities and critics. I'm fortunate to be my own master.

I expect the Khayaam proofs soon and am enormously relieved that the King's Man and your father are not unpleased with my version of Omar's literal translation. To me all that matters is justice to Khayaam's ghost; and the blow that is being struck by our friends against the Ring of so-called Sufi experts and Persian scholars is well-timed.

— I am enormously grateful to him for his help in my recovery at St Thomas's; and so to you and Omar. I was allowed to keep my blue hospital bed-jacket; and I occasionally wear it for sentimental reasons.

Like Juan, I have made a new start, since Aemilia's defection. A return to the gentle age of innocence, with most of my problems solved. In 1931 I planted an agave here; and not until this year did it flower, shooting up a Z0-feet stem with flowers that were in full bloom on my birthday and that dripped honey by the pint over the steps leading to the grotto.

Much love to you all

— Robert —

I am very close indeed to Juli, but publicly she keeps her distance with an assumed negligence which is really remarkable. Ours is really a constructive alliance rather than an old—world love-affair; I am the unicorn who lays his narwhale-horn in the pure virgin's lap, as in medieval tapestries.