Happy birthday to the poet James Schuyler, born on this day in 1923. Here is “Salute,” his first published poem (!) and one of his signature pieces. “Past / is past. I salute / that various field.”
And here is a diary entry Schuyler wrote on his 64th birthday in 1984. “Not everything gets worse.” Happy birthday, Jim.
Andrew Epstein
Locus Solus: The New York School of Poets 
Thanks!!! Wonderful to think about today being his birthday!!!
Is a biography in the works?
Yes! Fortunately, Nathan Kernan is writing a biography of Schuyler, which will hopefully be out within the next couple of years.
Good news!
Beautiful, Andrew, thank you. Gosh, even in his diary entries Jimmy communicated extraordinary perceptions of the visual beauty and changes wrought by weather in the city. An ecstatic early-morning experience of the Empire State Building—what a great birthday gift!
XXOO,
Katherine
Glad you enjoyed it, Katherine, and I completely agree! His diary is wonderful, as are his letters.