Tolkien Disapproved of Auden's Desire to Biograph

At Lit Hub, Emily Temple writes about the time J.R.R. Tolkien refused W. H. Auden's offer to write about him. Got it? "[W]hile Auden is often characterized as one of the people who legitimized Tolkien’s work in the literary world, and the two are often described as 'close friends,' at least in 1966, Tolkien didn’t seem to agree (at least with the latter bit)." More:

On March 9th, 1966, J. R. R. Tolkien wrote to Roger Verhlust at Eerdmans:

Mr. Auden did, in fact, inform me that he had agreed to contribute to your series a book called J. R. R. Tolkien in Christian Perspective. For various reasons I did not reply immediately to him; but though I regret that my view may not please you, and I am of course grateful for the honor of your attention, it is necessary I think to quote to you now what I said to him.

“I regret very much to hear that you have contracted to write a book about me. It does meet with my strong disapproval. I regard such things as premature impertinences; and unless undertaken by an intimate friend, or with consultation of the subject (for which I have at present no time), I cannot believe that they have a usefulness to justify the distaste and irritation given to the victim. I wish at any rate that any book could wait until I produce the Silmarillion. I am constantly interrupted in this; but nothing interferes more than the present pother about ‘me’ and my history.”

Read more of Temple's essay at Lit Hub.