T. S. Eliot (1888-1963)
"Lost Generation" American-born poet and critic, later a British citizen. One of the major figures of 20th Century literature, author of such great works as "The Wasteland" and Four Quartets.

Eliot and Barfield were in a writing group together in London in the 1930s. He would accept "Dope" for publication in Criteron and later reviewed several of Barfield's books favorably.

In their "Introduction" to A Barfield Sampler, Hunter and Kranidas report the following:

In a letter to T. S. Eliot in March 1924, [Barfield] records his decision not to rest in lament:

I am little tired of literature which can do nothing but point out ironically that there is nothing much going on but disintegration and decay.

This was a rather bold statement to an author who had published The Wasteland two years earlier. (6)