The Contemplated Spouse gathers in a single volume the 272 extant letters written by Wallace Stevens to the woman with whom he shared his life, Elsie Viola Kachel. Written over the span of twenty-five years, the correspondence reflects Elsie's evolving relationship with Stevens, initially as his dear friend, then as his fiancee, and later as his wife. Taken collectively, these personal letters from one of America's most important poets reveal aspects of Stevens's personality that his poetry discloses more obliquely. Most significant, they demonstrate Stevens's devotion to his wife through years of an uneven and often distant partnership. From Booklist *Starred Review* Stevens was a poet in the so-called modern movement, his poems a combination of the meditative and the sensual. Elsie Viola Kachel was first his friend, then his fiancee, and later his wife. Stevens wrote to her for more than 5 years before their marriage and for more than 20 years after they married (during their early married life, they spent time apart each year). These 272 surviving letters make known the poet's views of other writers, his interest in music, his life before meeting his wife, his joy in receiving letters from her, and his opinions of famous people--President Taft "looked stupid" and Eleanor Roosevelt was "much more attractive than any of us had imagined from her photographs." Most of the letters affirm Stevens' love for Elsie: "I send you, if I may, a kiss"; "Stay real for me"; "Would I need to touch you to be happy? Only to know that you were there would be enough to fulfill that." The introduction offers an overview of the poet's life. George Cohen#biography