University of Virginia Library

[G] Faulkner's Carbon Typescript Final Version / Brodsky Collection

This award has, to me, a double value. It is not only a comforting recognition of some considerable years of reasonably hard and arduous, anyway consistently dedicated, work. It also recognises and affirms, and so preserves, a quantity in our American legend and dream well worth preserving.

I mean a quantity in our past: that past which was a happier time in the sense that we were innocent of many of the strains

and anguishes and fears which these atomic days have compelled on us. This award evokes the faded airs and dimming rotogravures which record that vanished splendor still inherent in the names of Saint Louis and Leipzig, the quantitya which they celebrated and signified recordedb still today in the labels of wine bottles and ointment jars.

I think that those gold medals, royal and unique abovec the myriad spawn of their progeny which were the shining ribbons fluttering and flashing among the booths and stalld of forgotten county fairs in recognition and accolade of a piece of tatting or an apple pie, did much more than record a victory. They affirmed the premise that there are no degrees of best; that one man's best is the equal of any other best, no matter how asunder in time or space ore comparison, and should be honored as such.

We should keep that quantity, more than ever now, when roads getf shorter and easier between aim and gaing and goals become less demanding and more easily attained, and there is less and less spaceh between elbows and more and more pressure on the individual to relinquish into one faceless serration like a mouthful of teeth, simply in order to findi room to breathe. We should remember those times when the idea of an individuality of excellence compounded of resourcefulness and independence and uniqueness not only deserved a blue ribbon but got one. Let the past abolish the past when—and if—it can substitute something better; not us to abolish the past simply because it was.

• a the quantity] aft. del. 'so that'
• b recorded] aft. del. 'is'
• c above] aft. del. 'among the'
• d stall] uncorrected error for 'stalls'
• e or . . . or] ab. del. 'and . . . and'
• f get] ab. del. 'are'
• g gain] ab. del. 'goal'
• h space] ab. del. 'room'
• i find] aft. del. 'breathe.'

Collation of C-E against G



• 3 work. It] work, it C
• 3 also] omit C
• 4 affirms,] affirms∧ C
• 4 preserves,] preserves∧ C
• 6 a quantity in] omit C
• 6 past:] past, C
• 6 that past which was] omit C; intrl. D
• 7 were] were then C-D
• 8 on] upon C
• 8-9 This award] It C
• 9 dimming] omit C-E
• 9 that] the C
• 10 still] which is still C-D
• 10 Saint] St C
• 10 Leipzig,] Lipzig— C; Leipsic— D; Leipsic, E
• 11 the quantity] the quality C; the['y' del.] quality D; the quantity [alt. fr. 'quality'] E
• 11 which] omit C
• 11 and signified] omit C
• 11 recorded still] still immortalised C-D; still alive E
• 12 today] even when C; ab. del. 'even when' D
• 12 in] on C-D; in [typed 'i' over 'o'] E
• 12 labels] lables D
• 12 ointment] pickle C; alt. fr. 'condiment' ab. del. 'pickle' D
• 13 medals,] medals—and their myriad spawn— C
• 13-14 royal . . . progeny] omit C; *gleaming and unique [ab. del. intrl. 'standing in prolific'] ['splendor' intrl. del.] **among the myriad spawn of their [ab. del. 'and ***even

  ---

  321

  
  
  
  [intrl.] their myriad ****progeny [ab. del. 'spawn'] D
• 14 above] among D; among [ab. del. 'at the heart of'] E
• 14 which were] omit C
• 14 shining] gleaming and beautiful C; shining and beautiful D
• 15 booths] countless booths C; uncountable booths D; ['uncounted' del.] booths E
• 15 stall] stalls C; stalls [final 's' added] D
• 15 forgotten] omit C
• 16 fairs] fairs— C; fairs ['), even' del.] D
• 16 recognition] recognising C; alt. fr. 'recognising' D
• 16 and accolade of] no more than C
• 16 accolade] alt. fr. 'accolading' D
• 16 of] ab. del. 'no more than' D
• 16 piece of tatting] jar of pickles C-D; illeg. del. 3 letters intrl. between 'a' and 'jar' D
• 17 record a victory.] that C-D; *record a fact. [ab. del. 'that'] E
• 17 affirmed] postulated C-D
• 18 degrees] final 's' added D
• 18 best; that] best. That C-E
• 19 no . . . comparison,] intrl. E
• 19 time or space or] omit C
• 19 or space or] and space and D
• 21 quantity] omit C-D; intrl. E
• 22-23 and easier . . . attained,] omit C
• 22 and easier . . . gain] omit D; *stand easier [intrl.] between **aim [ab. del. 'point'] and ***goal [ab. del. 'point'] E
• 22 become] intrl. D
• 22 less] less pure and D
• 23 space] room C-E
• 24 elbows and] elbows, and there is C
• 24 pressure] pressure ['to relinquish' typed del.] E
• 24 relinquish into one] retreat into C
• 24-25 one faceless] anonymous C-D
• 25 a mouthful] filled C
• 25 teeth,] teeth∧ C-D
• 25 simply] omit C, E
• 26 find room to] omit C; have *space [typed ab. del. 'room'] to D; have space to E
• 26 an] omit C; intrl. D
• 26 individuality] individuality ['composed' del.] D
• 27 of excellence] omit C
• 27 compounded of] composed of excellence compounded of C
• 28 uniqueness∧] uniqueness, D-E
• 28 ribbon∧] ribbon, C-D
• 28 one.] it. C
• 29 better;] better for it; C