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Editor's Introduction To:
Nightmare, With Angels

Stephen Vincent Benet

Like many another, my first encounter with Stephen Vincent Benet was "The Devil and Daniel Webster"; which delightful story directed me to an early Pocket Book of his short stories (alas, my copy was read until it fell apart, and the book is out of print). "Paul's Case," "The Last of the Legions," "Old Doc Carter and the Pearly Gates"; a flood of stories, all different all readable; all heady stuff indeed to one not yet in high school.

I found his poetry only in libraries, and again it's mostly out of print. Benet, like many poets who wrote during the turmoil between the world wars, could see great storms ahead; and though he was basically an optimist, he had nightmares.

Like this one.

 

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Framed