A profound debt of gratitude is owing to the daughter
and grandson of Theodore Goodridge Roberts, Dorothy
Roberts Leisner, who generously shared with me thoughts
about her father’s poetry in correspondence lasting
nearly ten years. John B.R. Leisner kindly and
promptly accorded permission for the use of his grandfather’s
work in this book.
I owe more than I can say to
Malcolm Ross, who provided the initial impetus for the
book and urged me on with the work over an extended
period. The late Alfred G. Bailey talked to me
at length about Theodore, and allowed me to listen to
a tape of his recollections of his involvement with
the poetry and poets of Fredericton, New Brunswick.
The late Desmond Pacey, also of Fredericton, impressed
on me the need for an edition of Theodore’s poems.
The librarians in the Special
Collections Department at the Harriet Irving Library
at the University of New Brunswick, notably Mrs. Jean
Boone and Mary Flagg, were unfailing in their helpfulness
to me.
To Laurel Boone of Goose Lane
Press, Fredericton, I owe more than one valuable tip.
I must warmly thank Linda Humphries,
Peggy Baxter, and Arlene Buckle for their long suffering
work in preparing the disk of the manuscript.
To all my colleagues in the
English Department of the Grenfell College (Memorial
University), I owe the advantages of an extremely pleasant
working environment.
I offer my heartfelt appreciation
to David Bentley for having the faith to publish this
book.
Finally, I must thank my wife
Molly, for her patient help with the proofreading and
for many many things besides.
The faults and shortcomings
of the book are my own. Its beauties and virtues
are those of its principal begetter, Theodore Goodridge
Roberts. [Page xi]
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