by T. S. Eliot
Yours sincerely,
T. S. Eliot
1–Edmund Wilson (1895–1972), American journalist, literary and social critic and novelist; author of Axel’s Castle: A Study of Imaginative Literature 1890–1930 (1931) among other books; managing editor of Vanity Fair from July 1922 to May 1923. EP had written to Jeanne Foster on 6 May, ‘What wd. Vanity Fair pay Eliot for “Waste Land”[?]’, and suggested that John Peale Bishop write to TSE. Bishop met EP in Paris on 3 Aug., and on 5 Aug. he reported to Wilson: ‘Eliot is starting a quarterly review: he is to run “Waste Land,” the new series of lyrics in the first number: he and Thayer have split and the Dial will not publish it. Perhaps you might want to arrange for the American publication. Pound says they are as fine as anything written in English since 1900.’
2–TSE’s contribution was to be ‘Contemporary English Prose: A Discussion of the Development of English Prose from Hobbes and Sir Thomas Browne to Joyce and D. H. Lawrence’ – a translation of ‘Lettre d’Angleterre’, NRF 19: 3 (1 Dec. 1922), 751–6 – in Vanity Fair 20: 5 (July 1923). Wilson was to write to TSE on 26 Feb. 1923: ‘I have just seen your thing on English prose in the Nouvelle Revue Française and I wish you could let us reprint it in Vanity Fair … I think it is so admirable that it would be a great pity for it not to appear in English. We could pay you about $75.’
TO F. S. Flint
TS Texas
15 August 1922
9 Clarence Gate Gdns
Dear Flint,
I am indeed sorry that you have been so harassed. While I am not sure, without longer study, that I quite share your opinion of the author, I am at least doubtful whether it is quite what we want for the first number. We will therefore hold it up for the time.1 Whether it is printed or not, I will give you my word that the payment will be forthcoming for what has been done, not later than the appearance of the first number.
I have another Spanish contribution, typed, a perfectly simple and straightforward chronique of Spanish letters,2 which I propose to substitute for the Gómez. (He devotes several paragraphs to Gómez). I should venture to ask you if you would do this, but I gather that you are leaving for a holiday, so unless I hear from you by return I shall offer it to a Spaniard who has been recommended to me.
You say nothing about the Unities, but perhaps refreshed by your
vacation you will assault them?
Sincerely yours,
T. S. Eliot
1–Gómez de la Serna’s ‘From “The New Museum”’ was held over until the second issue of C. (Jan. 1923), 196–201.
2–Antonio Marichalar’s contribution appeared, in a translation by S. A. Middleton, as ‘Contemporary Spanish Literature’, C. 1: 3 (Apr. 1923), 277–92.
TO James Sibley Watson
TS Berg
15 August 1922
9 Clarence Gate Gdns
Dear Mr Watson,
Thank you for your charming letter of the 14th. I am indeed heartily sorry that there has been this difficulty; I only wish that the full explanation which you give could have reached me at the time. I should have accepted Thayer’s offer when it was made, but that he told me categorically that the Dial paid the same rates to everybody, and I knew on very good authority that Moore had received a considerably larger sum. My objection was, therefore, a protest against discrimination in favour of a writer whose work I cannot believe to have any permanent value, and whom I knew to be in no financial want. Unfortunately my letter to Thayer about Moore seems to have crossed one from him again denying that the Dial discriminated between its writers, so that neither of us was inclined to continue the correspondence. I also had in mind, perhaps, that what I offered and had always in fact given was exclusive serial publication, whereas numerous writers have placed their work both in the Dial and in London too.
It is true that I have not only given Mr Liveright the first publication (book) rights, but also have executed the Contract, under which he is to pay me $150 on publication. I suppose that the poem is now going to press. For my part, I should be quite willing (out of loyalty to the Dial) to let you publish it first, in that event of course I should expect to forego the $150 advance from Mr Liveright, and should receive it from you instead of from him. What I could not do is to give you exclusive rights now, as the poem will appear in London in October in the Criterion. But I will put it this way:
Subject to Mr Liveright’s consent, I would let the Dial publish the poem for $150, not before November 1st. In this event, I would forego the $150 advance from Mr Liveright, and he would delay publication as a book until the new year. Possibly he would be glad to do this, on the possibility of the book’s getting the prize, which might increase the sales. If so, the only alteration in my contract with him would be to delete the clause giving me $150 in advance, and alter the date fixed for publication. It would be necessary to get Mr Quinn to act for me on the legal side, though he has done so much for me already that I dislike to trouble him.
The periodical in which the poem appears here will in any case not be circulated in America.
If you receive this letter, will you let me hear from you before you sail? With all best wishes,
Sincerely yours,
T. S. Eliot
You will understand of course that I am legally bound to Mr Liveright.1
1–Watson conveyed this to Thayer on 19 Aug.: ‘Got a letter from Eliot regretting his haste in thinking we were trying to rob him, and offering us the right of publishing his poem simultaneously with its pub. in the Criterion.’
TO Sydney Schiff
TS BL
15 August 1922
9 Clarence Gate Gdns
My dear Sydney,
I have been very rushed with correspondence but must manage to write to you as I have been wanting to do so for so long. I am very sorry to hear that you are finding it difficult to get on with your work; I have been through the same ordeal often and know how agonising it is. But a moment comes when the thing comes out almost automatically; I think that it is partly the anxiety and desire to express it exactly that form the obstacle; then a moment of self-forgetfulness arrives and releases the inspiration. I imagine that all writers who have arrived at a degree of consciousness in their mental activity suffer in this way.
Aldington’s reply is what I should have expected.1 I wish that I could see you to talk, as there is so much one cannot explain in any other way, so until I do I cannot explain everything I want to explain. Possibly I could spend the Saturday night and Sunday with you at Crowborough the weekend after next: I could let you know definitely by the Monday next, and meanwhile you will let me know if it would be inconvenient. Vivien is writing to Violet as soon as she can; I was down there over Sunday (one night). I think she is better, but I see that it is very difficult for her to take her cure properly and attend to all the details of it anywhere but in her own home; and I am not at all sure that the country air and out of door life balance the discomforts and the imperfections of diet etc. If she could have a house of her own in the country, and have Ellen to look after her, it might be quite a different matter. She has to do so many more things for herself, as well as plan so much more, in the country. I must stop now, I have written ten letters tonight.
Yours ever aff,
Tom
If you know of any persons who might subscribe, I should be glad to have more circulars sent you. It was good of you to subscribe three times.
When you get back to London, I should like to have a photograph made of the Lewis drawing to send to my mother. May I?
1–In answer to an enquiry from SS, RA had responded on 2 Aug.: ‘I consider a subsidy of £300 a year adequate, in view of the fact that an additional £100 a year is promised by a large literary paper in London in exchange for a very small amount of work, that from other sources Mr. Eliot can easily count upon at least another £100 a year.
‘The security for the £300 is the honour of the subscribers who have guaranteed their subscription in writing. I am asking subscrib
ers for an annual banker’s order so as to take from them the great labour of writing an annual cheque.
‘There is a certain amount of risk in this of course, but a man who will take no risks for a big object is not worth considering. About £200 a year is now promised; and several additional subscriptions of £10 a year are in sight. Since Mr Eliot’s health will probably force him to leave the bank in a year or so he may be glad of our little fund even if it is inadequate and ill-secured.’
SS responded to RA (7 Aug.): ‘I can only reply that if Eliot is prepared to give up his present post in return for the promised subsidy of £300 a year you are confident of obtaining, I shall certainly supplement it by an annual subscription.
‘I am very sorry you are so apprehensive about his health. Should your fears be so unhappily justified there would arise a different and more serious situation which I prefer not to anticipate.’
TO F. S. Flint
ts Texas
17 August 1922
9 Clarence Gate Gdns
Dear Flint,
Our views about Gómez are not widely divergent.
Let me hear from you upon your return, and perhaps we can meet and discuss what is to be done with him, and with the unities?
Sincerely,
T. S. Eliot
TO Paul Valéry
TS Bibliothèque Nationale
17 August 1922
9 Clarence Gate Gdns
Monsieur,
J’ai reçu avec un vif plaisir la traduction du Serpent faite par M. Wardle.1 La traduction me paraît excellente; néanmoins, je me suis muni de vos ‘Charmes’2 et j’en ferai une vérification détaillée et minutieuse.
The Criterion (je vous envoie une annonce qui pourrait vous intéresser) est fier de publier en Angleterre une oeuvre d’une telle importance, et je regrette seulement que nous n’avons pas reçu la bonne nouvelle à temps d’illustrer notre annonce de votre nom, qui a une distinction particulière parmi l’élite du public auquel nous visons.
Permettez-moi d’espérer que nous recevrons plus tard quelques proses inédites aussi?
Croyez, Monsieur, à l’hommage sincère d’un de vos admirateurs les plus dévoués.
T. S. Eliot3
1–Mark Wardle’s translation of Valéry’s ‘The Serpent’ appeared in C. 1: 3 (Apr. 1923), 267–76. TSE wrote ‘A Brief Introduction to the Method of Paul Valéry’ for the subsequent book, Le Serpent par Paul Valéry (London: Cobden-Sanderson, 1924).
2–Paul Valéry, Charmes (1922), the collection that included ‘Le Serpent’.
3–Translation: Dear Sir, I have received with great pleasure the translation of the Serpent done by Mr Wardle. The translation strikes me as excellent; nevertheless, I have equipped myself with a copy of your Charmes, and shall check it carefully and in detail.
The Criterion (I am enclosing a publicity leaflet which might interest you) is proud to bring out a work of such importance in England, and I only regret that we did not receive the good news in time to enhance our publicity with your name, which enjoys particular distinction among the élite of the public we are aiming at.
Allow me to hope that we may later receive some unpublished prose texts as well?
Please accept the sincere tribute of one of your most devoted admirers. T. S. Eliot.
TO James Sibley Watson
TELEGRAM ts Berg
17 August 1922
PLEASE TAKE NO STEPS AWAIT NEW LETTER ELIOT1
1–Watson wrote to Thayer on 19 Aug., while sailing back to the USA: ‘Got a letter from Eliot regretting his haste in thinking we were trying to rob him, and offering us the right of publishing his poem simultaneously with its pub. in the Criterion … But the next day I got a telegram saying “don’t act till you receive a second letter.” Haven’t received it yet, though it may come on board tonight when we touch at Plymouth. So the matter is still in the air. Please don’t do anything definitive without letting me know first. I reach New York probably August 26.’
TO Sydney Schiff
TS BL
20 August 1922
9 Clarence Gate Gdns
My dear Sydney,
I am surprised to hear that you are leaving Crowborough so soon; it would seem to show that your period in the country has not been any more enjoyable than many people’s experience seems to have been this year; I am sorry for that.
I was going to ask you whether it would be convenient for me to come the following weekend instead of the 26th, for the reason that a young cousin of mine [Abigail Eliot] is in England at the moment and is leaving early next week. I had already written to ask her to come to Bosham, so that she could see Vivien before she leaves; and next weekend turns out to be the only time at which she can come. As you will be in London so soon you will probably not think it worthwhile to have me the following weekend, as we should meet so soon in town, but if you are staying longer than you now think I should be able to spend the weekend after next at Crowborough.
I am sorry that you are dissatisfied about your book but perhaps you will talk to me about it when we meet.1
Considering that Vivien has only been in the country a fortnight, in a four roomed labourer’s cottage, and having incessant bad weather, she has made considerable progress. I don’t think she is more of a ‘townbird’ than any of us, in fact I think she gets more out of solitary country life than anyone I know.
I am very very busy still, but in a few weeks I hope that the pressure of the first number will be abated.
Always affectionately
T.S.E.
1–Probably SS’s novel Prince Hempseed (1923).
TO John Quinn
TS NYPL (MS)
21 August 1922
9 Clarence Gate Gdns
Dear Mr Quinn,
In reply to your letter of the 28th ultimo, I cannot thank you enough for the great pains you have taken on my behalf.
The contract seems to me as perfect as it is possible for a contract to be.
I certainly cannot accept your proposal to purchase the manuscript at your own price,1 and if you will not accept it in recognition of what you have done for me lately and in the past, it will not be any pleasure to me to sell it to you. I therefore hope that you will accept it. But as I feel that perhaps you like some of my early poems best I should be glad, for example, to send you the manuscript of ‘Prufrock’ instead, and I hope you will let me do this.
I hope that Liveright will not be disappointed at the length of the poem.
A few days ago I had an attractive proposal from Mr Watson of the Dial who was very anxious to publish it; but I think between ourselves that the Dial are rather unbusinesslike people and that there is a lack of coordination.
They suggested getting Liveright to postpone the date of publication as a book, but I have written to them to say that it seemed to me too late to be proper to make any change now and that I should not care to trouble either Mr Liveright or particularly yourself with any questions of alterations in the contract.
I cannot go into details about the proposal as it was stated to be confidential and of course you will not mention it to anyone else.
I have been exceedingly busy for some weeks with the preparation of a quarterly review of which I send you a circular for your amusement.
One never knows whether any public activity of this sort is worthwhile but it is interesting to make such an attempt at least once in one’s life; if it succeeds – as far as anything of the sort can be expected to succeed – it will be of satisfaction to me; meanwhile it is a kind of experience. If it succeeds I shall have to delegate a great deal of the work which I am myself doing for the first few numbers; if it does not succeed in the sense of justifying its continuation, I hope at least that it will make an interesting volume or two in the literary history of our epoch.
I hope that you will write to me at the end of your holiday and let me know how you are inasmuch as I feel partially responsible for your needing it as much as you do.
Again wi
th most cordial thanks.
Yours sincerely,
T. S. Eliot
TO James Sibley Watson
TS Berg
21 August 1922
9 Clarence Gate Gdns
Dear Mr Watson,
I am very sorry that your wire did not arrive in time for me to write to you at Plymouth, but I hope that this letter will reach you very soon after your arrival in New York.1
I answered your first charming letter in haste and without having thought over the matter very thoroughly. But now it seems to me that it is far too late and that matters have gone too far for me to change my plans.
It would involve altering the contract with Mr Liveright in which business I should again have to invoke the aid of Mr Quinn and I think it would be quite unjustifiable for me to give any further worry to either Mr Quinn or Mr Liveright, quite aside from the fact that I myself am so busy for many weeks to come that I shall have no time to devote to any additional business.
You of course were not able to approach me in the matter earlier, but had it been possible or had Thayer explained the difficulty to me as you have done instead of leaving it in complete silence, I should of course have fallen in with your proposal. But as things are I should not feel justified in troubling Mr Quinn in any case, and I should not feel justified in troubling Mr Liveright unless the alteration were to his advantage as well as mine. Furthermore to put the matter frankly, the advantage to me would be nil unless the receipt of the prize were to form the basis of a contract which of course you would not be likely to give.
