{"id":113741,"date":"2017-08-09T09:00:41","date_gmt":"2017-08-09T13:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theparisreview.org\/blog\/?p=113741"},"modified":"2017-08-09T10:46:55","modified_gmt":"2017-08-09T14:46:55","slug":"lifes-dull-letter-philip-larkin-kingsley-amis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theparisreview.org\/blog\/2017\/08\/09\/lifes-dull-letter-philip-larkin-kingsley-amis\/","title":{"rendered":"Life\u2019s Dull: A Letter from Philip Larkin to Kingsley Amis"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a>

From left: Anthony Powell, Kingsley Amis, Philip Larkin, and Hilary Amis.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

From a 1979 letter from Philip Larkin to Kingsley Amis. Larkin, who was born on this day in\u00a01922, and Amis enjoyed\u00a0a long friendship. In their respective Writers at Work interviews, both Larkin<\/a> and Amis<\/a> spoke about their working relationship; the two shared unpublished writing with each other. In Amis\u2019s case, Larkin provided \u201cvery constructive suggestions\u201d on the \u201cfeeble\u201d first draft of his novel\u00a0<\/em>Lucky Jim.<\/em><\/p>\n

Dear Kingsley,<\/p>\n

I write at 4:30 on a Sunday\u2014well, this one, to be precise\u2014what you might call the arse-hole of the week. Lunchtime drink dead, not time for six o\u2019clock gin. Tea<\/em>? Don\u2019t make me cross. Sorry you are feeling lowdown; I sympathise. I don\u2019t know that I ever expected much of life, but it terrifies me to think it\u2019s nearly over. I mean there can\u2019t possible now be any good bits like going to Corfu with some busty ex-Roedean girl WHOSE FATHER GIVES HER LOTS OF MONEY and who loves being pocked (\u2018it\u2019s better every time, oh darling\u2019), or being a novelist. I don\u2019t want any of that swearing. I mean, you\u2019ve become what I dreamed of becoming, and I don\u2019t suppose you ever dreamed of being a librarian. If I\u2019m so good why don\u2019t they pay me enough money to go to some southern beach and lie on my belly (or someone else\u2019s)? Eh? Now there can only be don\u2019t normally take on anyone over 55, like to do a few tests if you don\u2019t mind, am returning it because it isn\u2019t really up to your own high standard, afraid I must stop coming Mr Larkin hope you find another cleaning lady to<\/p>\n

AAARRRRGHGHGHGH<\/p>\n

TV seems awful these days. I got one last December, and it was all right for a bit, but now the novelty\u2019s worn off I suppose and there seems nothing but chat shows and non-comedy and B-films and NEWS\u2014God how I hate news\u2014I can\u2019t watch it\u2014to see <\/em>these awful shit marching or picketing or saying the ma\u2019er wi\u2019 noo be referred back to thu Na\u2019ional Exe\u2019u\u2019ive is too much for me. Why don\u2019t they show NAKED WOMEN, or PROS AND CONS OF CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IN GIRLS\u2019 SCHOOL oh for God\u2019s sake Phil can\u2019t you NO I CAN\u2019T<\/p>\n

For God\u2019s sake keep writing dear man, for life\u2019s unexciting.<\/p>\n

Penelope Fitzgerald\u2019s prize-winning bum,<\/p>\n

Philip<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From a letter from Philip Larkin to Kingsley Amis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1213,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1900],"tags":[29995,29993,5733,29994,2861,120,6425,1080,747,8006,2253,559,54,75],"class_list":["post-113741","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-correspondence","tag-corfu","tag-corporal-punishment","tag-correspondence-2","tag-ex-roedean-girl","tag-history","tag-kingsley-amis","tag-lucky-jim","tag-money","tag-novels","tag-nudity","tag-philip-larkin","tag-tea","tag-television","tag-writing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nLife\u2019s Dull: A Letter from Philip Larkin to Kingsley Amis<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"From a 1979 letter from Philip Larkin to Kingsley Amis.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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