20/08/1995
Dear Tony,
Thank you very much for your letter and your innovative poetry. How you have written such lovely poems like 'The November Tree’ in a very short time has surprised me.
When I wrote to you six months ago I said that “when you write poem you will write good poems”. However in that time I never thought you could write this kind of romantic dramatic and philosophical poetry within seven months. My guess about you became a lovely surprise
and wonderful reality in less than seven months.
Although I have been teaching English at St Petersburg University for many years and writing poems in the Russian language, but I have not yet dreamt of writing poetry in English like the kind that you have written in less than seven months. You are an unusual and talented person. I wish you very best.
As I wrote before, I hope you will come to visit us whenever it is possible for you.
Yours sincerely
Professor Lyudmila