Introduction to a reading by Donald Justice to the Academy of American Poets at The Pierpont Morgan Library : typescript signed : [n.p.], 1982 December 9 [date delivered]

An introduction for Donald Justice, spoken 9 December 1982 to the Academy of American Poets at the Pierpont Morgan Library. "The wonder of Donald Justice is that he has taken such pains to make himself understandable, and that despite the genuine difficulty of his perceptions, he is [the word "is" underlined] understandable; he is clear. Clarity is hard work. Mr. Justice has struggled in order that the reader's struggle be less [the word "less" underlined]. That is a charitable understanding of the tools of literature. The complexities of language have always been tempting to fakes, but while using fully the complexities of his language, Mr. Justice has always demonstrated that the highest purpose of literature is to illuminate those things which are hard, disturbing, painful, moving, and repeat themselves--not to obscure them."