Just the Thing: Selected Letters of James Schuyler, 1951-1991

Author: James Schuyler

Editor: William Corbett

Publisher: Turtle Point Press (2009)

"James Schuyler's letters are all of a piece. . . . They have his virtues: wit, humor, intelligent observations about writing, writers, painting, and painters expressed off-handedly, bits of brilliant description of nature and weather, and a sense of the world lived in, sharply observed, and lovingly accepted for all that it is. All of a piece but with Schuyler's voice adjusted to different friends, pitched to their particular wavelengths. And, of course, his voice changes over the years as he ages and his correspondents extend beyond his contemporaries to younger friends."

–William Corbett, from the Introduction

"An extraordinarily rich and compelling book, a wonder . . . the perfect companion to [Schuyler's] brilliant and memorable poems."

–Paul Auster