Characters:
William Empson, English literary critic and poet
Robert Graves, British poet, historical novelist, and critic    

Setting: A pub in London

Scene: (William Empson and Robert Graves sit at a table in a pub. They are drinking pints of ale and smoking pipes.)

Empson: (taking a sip of his ale) Have you heard about Michael Schmidt’s anniversary?

Graves: (looking up from his pipe) Anniversary of what?

Empson: Of PN Review. It’s been fifty years since he founded the journal.

Graves: (nodding) Ah yes, I remember when it first came out. It was a breath of fresh air in the literary world.

Empson: (smiling) Indeed. Michael has done a remarkable job of keeping it going all these years.

Graves: (smiling) He certainly has. I remember some of the early issues – there was such a range of voices and ideas, from all over the world.

Empson: (nodding) Yes, and that’s still true today. He’s managed to keep PN Review relevant and interesting, despite all the changes in the literary world.

Graves: (thoughtful) It’s really quite an achievement. And he’s published some remarkable writers over the years.

Empson: (smiling) Yes, I remember reading some of your work in PN Review, Robert.

Graves: (laughing) Yes, and you had some things to say about it, if I recall.

Empson: (smiling) Of course, that’s what critics do.

Graves: (nodding) Indeed. But it’s not just the big names that Michael has ...