THE
CRITERION
A QUARTERLY REVIEW

EDITED BY T. S. ELIOT

TELEPHONE: MUSEUM 9543
TELEGRAMS: FABBAF, WESTCENT, LONDON

24 RUSSELL SQUARE,
LONDON, W.C.1

January 1st 1932

Miss Mary Butts,
105 Oakley Street,
Chelsea.

Dear Miss Butts,

Indeed I remember having met you
often in what are beginning to seem distant days.
It is quite true that I liked "Ashe of Rings", or
rather I very much liked what I saw of it, for I
only read several parts which were serialized, and
the published book never came my way. I certainly
am very happy to hear that a long delayed English
edition will be published. But as for a prefatory
note by myself, I am afraid that I must be quite
consistent with the principles I have adopted, and
decline, except for very special reasons—as when I
wrote an introduction to a selection of Ezra Pound's
poems,—ever to introduce in this way a living author.
As for the value of such prefaces in helping a book
there are two opinions, and I think myself that the
value of prefatory commendations is over-rated. But
the real point is, that if I did agree, as I should
like to do, I should find it exceedingly difficult
ever to refuse less welcome tasks of the same sort,
particularly from people whose claim upon me would
be rather personal than due to my admiration for
their work. But in expressing my regret I must say
again how glad I am that the book is to be made accessible.

EDITED BY T. S. ELIOT

TELEPHONE: MUSEUM 9543
TELEGRAMS: FABBAF, WESTCENT, LONDON
TSE

24 RUSSELL SQUARE,
LONDON, W.C.I

23 February 1937

Miss Mary Butts
Tebel Vos
Sennen
Cornwall

Dear Miss Butts,

I am returning your story MAPPA MUNDI to you, with
diffidence and regret, as after several readings it does not seem
to me quite successful enough to justify publication by itself in
the CRITERION. I should like however to take this opportunity of
mentioning directly a proposal which I made to your agent Mr.
Leonard Moore some time ago, and to which I have once or twice
reverted. We were very much interested indeed by a group of three
short stories which you sent in some years ago, and I trust that
Mr. Moore has reminded you that we should take a very lively in-
terest in any collection of your short stories sufficient to form
a volume. I should be interested to know if there is any likeli-
hood in the near future of your having such a collection, assuming
of course that you have not promised it to any other publisher.

With best wishes,