The Guggenheim jury. Same jury as last year. (Fraser, Young, Zigrosser, Watkins, + myself) – The work not of as high caliber as some years.
The hotel ‘flooded’ with some women’s club convention – the dining hall over-flowing; so we set out to get breakfast outside. Everyplace closed, being ‘night’ spots. Eventually we found a cafeteria at 7th and 51st Street —
The Jury meeting followed much the same pattern as usual (Zigrosser, Maldarelli, Speicher, Young & myself) – It was good to be back –
Lunches at Forno’s (Spanish Restaurant) both days. These very enjoyable – good food and excellent conversation. (One of the things I like to do in N.Y. is to fill up on raw oysters). –
So I told the remark [erased and covered with ???] once made about my work ‘Burchfield is only Hopper on a rainy day’ –"
I would like to be the embodiment of March — both in life & art—
The south west wind cuts steel—like thru the great frigid arch of a March sky; whipping the hard barren earth with icy ferocity.
Before school this morning and at noon I worked on the posters. Bill and I wrote Poetry again today. I started it, laborously working out this masterpiece:
About 10º above this morning. A.M. letter from Pres. James B. Conant of Harvard that they wish to confer on me the Doctor of Arts Honorary Degree June 10...
"...a frog swim slowly along under the ice. We smashed the ice and after some trouble Bill had the chilled creature in his hand, breathing on it to warm it...“Don’t hurt it!” I said ..."
All the earth seems full of rumbling sounds.
I worked on with joy and exuberance, with a feeling of power such as I have not known for months – At the end of the day, exhausted mentally & emotionally I called B out to look at it. She was completely "bowled over" by it, and declared it to be one of my best. In a daze of happiness all evening.