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In the late 60’s, an up-and-coming poet named Wallace Gibson sent a galley of his forthcoming collection to Pierrecourt, who he admired greatly, hoping for a kind blurb from the man who had himself dabbled in poetry in his early days.  The quote is taken verbatim from Pierrecourt’s response, scribbled angrily on a series of liquor-store receipts.  It has no bearing upon Gibson’s work at all, and appears to have been prompted by the fact that the young poet signed his very polite and humble letter with the farewell, “God bless.”  Gibson, taking up Pierrecourt’s challenge, made sure that the “blurb” was printed prominently on the back cover of the book.  The two writers, separated by 30 years, exchanged many subsequent letters, and though Pierrecourt’s tone was frequently brusque and dismissing, a growing warmth is evident, though the two never met.