Write to Moult and O'Brien through their publishers. . I can't get the
addresses . . I tried. .

February 3rd 1929

Dear Charles:

This note will be brief, but I will report on the many questions in
your various letters, and on the mss I have received tomorrow or next day.
Fact is that I am planning to leave here this Saturday the 9th for San Antonio
via New Orleans. . . I have been ill again and then the financial worry of living
in New York is pretty bad. . anyway I want some sunshine and time to think and
a place to work. . and rest. .

I will be in New Orleans Friday the 15th at seven morning . . and will be
there until that night at eleven . . that is if you are coming there for the
Mardi Gras and will stay over . . I do not care for the Mardi Gras, was there
once during that festivity . . and feel too badly to carry on anyway . . but
I would like to talk with you . . there are a million things to tell you about
different angles of BLUES . . so if you can possibly come there let me know . .
you will just have time to write or wire me when you get this . . and tell me
what hotel . . then I will write where the boat docks etc . . and you can meet
me if you feel so disposed and you had better . . the boat is the CREOLE on the
Morgan line . .

I am so tired . . god how good it will be to rest again . . and have sunshine
and warmth . . I love New York, but hate it when I am ill . . and I have not felt
equal to it since coming here . . however I have learned many thing . . and many
good things have happened . . I am leaving a book manuscript with Knopf and one
with Macmillan . .

Dear I must close and rest a while . . I have asked Williams to come
over and give me some ideas about BLUES if he has time this week . . Also have
done other work on the magazine . . we must make a go of it . . and maybe I can
get Williams interested enough to help along . . also asked Van Doren and
Kreymbord if they cared to submit . . they would be a big help. . that is, of
course, if they submit good work . .

Wire me at once what you will do . . will write twice more before leaving, and report on the manuscripts I have on hand.

Love, Enfant,

My new address will be P.O. box 664, San Antonio, Texas.

February fifth, 1929.

Charles dear:

When you get this letter be sure and wire me if you are going
to meet me in New Orleans, and the name of the hotel where you will stay. I am
leaving for sure this coming Saturday, and will arrive in New Orleans Friday
morning the fifteenth, and the pier there is at the head of St. Louis St. If
you are there, be sure to meet me. If you do not come to meet me I probably will
taken the ten o'clock train that morning instead of waiting til that night at
elven which I will do in order to see you.

I had a letter from Williams today with a lot of information in it. I am
going to see him Friday afternoon and will try to get all the ideas I can. And
he is also bringing some of his manuscripts. Perhaps he will have more assurance
about BLUES after we talk for he could certainly do a lot for us. He suggests
that I see Lukofsky and talk with him and I probably would if I had time.

Please disregard one of the poems I sent you the other day title CONTINUED
NOCTURNE. It has already gone out to a magazine published in Mexico City. It seems
to be the sort of thing they use and I will have to await their reply. I will send
you two or three more when I have time.

I had dinner and spent the evening with Lew and Ruth last night. They seemed
to regard BLUES a very doubtful venture, but think that with Ben Muesser's aid(?)
we may accomplish something. But as for Muesser(I have nothing against him-person-
ally I like him] but I think that such as he, with his two magazines is making it
impossible for a serious younger poet to do clear, experimental work)I dont see
any great benefit can come of his association. By this I do not mean to be unkind
to him or even to drop him from the board, but merely not use his work and not say
too much about him as an editor. Lew and Ruth stand in awe before Ben's charp, which

doubtlessly is charm, but we are not running a magazine of hints on etiquette
and personality. I much prefer rude, honest people-if there are any. I believe Mr.
Siegel would come under that class.

Be sure to wire me if you will be there and will meet me. I will make my plans
accordingly. As for the manuscripts I have now, if I do not report on them, before
I leave, I will bring them along and talk about them with you. As for Reginald
Dwight I don't give a damn who wrote it or what it means. when I have time, that
is before I get to New Orleans, I will make a criticism of it in detail. You
know me well enough to know that I would not be prejudiced even if Coolidge had
written it. And I bet that I can guess pretty accurately who did. enough for that
story. I will have plenty to tell you after talking with Williams.

Love,

FOUR

The SCEPTER came yesterday. I gave him good stuff for it. I want my stuff published where it can be without any problem. It should all be published no matter where it relieves the pressure of futility from my mind. It gives one the strength to go on. I am glad to have published those six poems in BLUES. They would never have found a place elsewhere. They're too clear for DIAL. And too involved for the others. I have many of that type poem in my trunk. someday I'll work them all over. I'll have them published in little paper back covers like the French books. something like the small TRANSITIONS. ( No I haven't seen the last TRANSITION but I ordered it.)

I must go now. react as you will to this. I will be frank. It doesn't matter. I can't be cluttered up with things to not say. You know the worst now about what I think of BLUES: I think it is weak and meaningless. I think it has lost purpose: I think it is a useless thing: unless turned into an open forum for the younger writers to inspire them to shaper angles.

Sorry and all that for this letter. I've certainly opened a lot of myself however.

April two th 1929

Dear Charles:

The April issue of BLUES is at hand . . . it is much much better than the
other issues. . . the cover is better and one can read without difficulty the inside
of the cover . . . and the contents show variety which it seems to me the most
important thing in a magazine of this type. No poems and no prose in this issue
have any similarity . . . they are all different . . . experimental if not good and
rather direct. . . I think Spector ( you accuse me of having a " crush" on Siegel
when I praise him, but this cannot apply to Spector since I hate him thoroughly)
has the best poem in the April number . . . AUTUMN SENSED KEENLY is about the best
poem you have printed so far . . . excepting that small poem of Zukofsky's in the
1st issue . . . then senond best in the last issue is DEATH by Leader . . . I think
her others are trite . . . then perhaps REXROTH shows as much promise as anyone
printed today . . . still his poem wasn't good . . . Van Doren's poems were better than
then I thought . . . That man has a sense of rhythm that is too deep for me !
Kreymbögg was bad . . . MacLeod gets the Boobey prize . . . Jenkins not so good . .
vogel true to form which is decidedly interesting and decidedly GOOD. Your sketch
was pretty good . . . Could have been much better . . . and I don't think I like my
own poems in this issue particularly . . . it may be the mood I'm in.

Yes its true that this issue shows a lot of promise . . . but you must get
some publicity and get it quick . . . BOOKS and SAT REVIEW of LIT . . . write them
snappy letters quoting people who write about BLUES . . . send them copies at the
same sitting . . . try every news paper . . . and write letters to the men who clip
poetry for columns . . . One must be advertised . . . then you will pour in and you
will be able to print good stuff and sell the magazine.

Of course all this is useless advise . . . No the letter I wrote was not
written with a hangover . . . Perhaps it was rather a boiling over . . . I still feel
that way . . . sorry . . .

No as yet nothing of mine has been returned from CARAVAN . . . I can
understand it . . . I am sure that they have been arguing about my work and have
just set it aside from day to day . . . I feel sure now that I wont get in . . .
It doesn't matter . . . I'm not getting into a white heat about it any more . . . I've
waited weeks and months . . . and now they can take them or be damned . . . I would
like to know by next fall . . . I could not have lost them in the mails and they
have my new address(her) and mail is still being forwarded from New York addresses.
Their system must be pretty poor . . . but who am I to kick . . . If I get in itll
please me more###### then any other things, except of course having a book of
my own . . .

I'll write more when I feel in the mood . . . I'm not very well just now . . .
My life is made up mostly of shocks . . . I'm trying to recover from any other one
just now . . . itll probably take three or four days . . .

Congratulations on the ppril BLUES . . . its rather commendable . . . and
I know that you are putting a great deal into it . . . its perfectly printed and
set up . . . and this issue is better than anything else I've seen in a long time.
Yes I think the FORGE is splendid . . . it would do well to have some of sterling
North in BLUES . . . yes that one article on poetry was the most atrocious thing
I've seen in many months . . . the poetry was splendid . . . and North's story was
EXTRA good . . .

Write soon . . .

April 13th 1929

Dear Charles:

With a box full of mail that came yesterday and along with your letter I was rewarded after all these months with a letter of acceptance from the CARAVAN. They are using one of my poems in this fourth coming number. . . but have only returned two of my poems. . . I am sending them along but know that you won't like them. . . SHEAF OF IMAGES in is many ways the best poem I have ever done. . . I believe that TRANSITION may want it if you don't. . . also I might as well send the story along too. . . I know what your reaction will be to LAST LETTER. . . it was done that way on purpose and brought forth a letter from Kreymborg saying "You are doing something all your own."

It's just too bad about Mississipi and Mr. Kreymborg's poem. . . what the hell does that long silly oath of Mr. Kreymborgs to do with them. . . true hes just letting off wind but what of it? I reread Vogel again yesterday and liked him better than ever. . . that is the work in the April issue. . . however he would get tiresome. . . I hope he will write a book. . . Is he the one writing the book about an insane man. . .

I celebrated yesterday afternoon after the CARAVAN acceptance. . . had quite a lot to drink and a good dinner with some friends. . . and then returned and dressed in formal for a dance. . . had a very good time.

Here are the poems and I am doubtful whether I will put them in the poetry or not. . . however I'll read it again and see. . . I'll write more soon. . .

As Ever,

May thirteenth 1929

Darling:

I am at last able to sleep again and feeling somewhat better . . . the first day I could sit up to write I wrote nine good poems . . since then I have spent most of my time in bed until now my strength is somewhat regained. I am glad: I have so many things to do . . . planning where I am going for the summer . . . work on my manuscripts . . and planning to publish a book on my own . . ( maybe everyone thinks I'm wrong about this but I KNOW it will turn out to be something worth while . . ) Now for some business:

Send copies of the last issue which must be off the press about now to The Personal Service Bookshop, 2011 Guadalupe Street, Austin, Texas, Miss Nell Andrews. . . Send about four and ask her how many she wants: I have sent her two of each issue to see if she can sell them and if she is interested. . . I am going to Austin later and then can see what she thinks, I believe that shell do a lot for showing BLUES around there . . . and that is the only part of our glorious state that is alive at all above the neck . . . Also send a couple of copies and write and ask of they want to handle them to: THE SATHER GATE BOOK SHOP, Berkeley, California; THE BOOKERY, Denver Colorado; THE STANFORD BOOK STORE, Palo Alto, California. . . Harold Munro's address and bookshop is: HAROLD MUNRO, THE POETRY BOOKSHOP, 38 Great Russell Street, London, W.C. . . as obtained in a very nasty and snobbish letter from Robert Graves, who is the other sour-grape critic connected in the capacity of soul-mate to Laura Riding, who has recently met with a very bad accident . . . Let those who cannot write poetry tear that of others to shreds: NO ONE WILL PAY THEM ANY MIND ANYWAY . . . I HOPE TO GOD WELL NEVER RESORT TO THAT I LETS MAKE A VOW WE NEVER WILL I If my stuff fails then I'll work like hell for every other intelligently writing poet who is beginning . .

NOW FOR WORK SENT TO ME: I think the things by BRANCH are terrible . . they show promise but nothing more . . . I do not like the cockroaches and crabs . . . in some of the poems there are even contradictions of an impression in the same line . . . that at least is careless . . . his work is to psychological and not forceful enough . . . You told me to report to him so I'm sending him a letter with these things . . . No Im afraid that I don't like HARTSOCK . . . by god I wish that man'd write something that wasn't typical of him . . . something wild and original and senseless maybe . . . his is all senseless . . . this is in ways the best I've seen of his . . . since it has a good phrase or two . . . of all the pale pink poets he deserves the laurel crown. . . otherwise H's really beautiful . . . physically I mean . . . He looks like a poet . . . and probably should have lived in England about three hundred years ago . . . The Green thing of Vogels doesn't tick altogether. . . I see possibilities in it that are great . . . but he hasn't worked them out . . . In places he's relied on the punning of the word green to do his work, without using his imagination . . . OH YES I REMEMBER . . . there is something marvellous somewhere here that you sent me . . . just a minute until I find it . . . THREE IN APRIL . . . That I think is great . . . ID take this before TRANSITION gets it . . . I think it is great . . . God how that man uses words and gets effects: SHE IS A CURVE MOVING; CAUGHT, THEN FREE AGAIN . . . and: SHE WALKS AS IF HER HIPS ARE TWISTED INTO A KNOT, AND SHE IS TRYING TO WRENCH THEM LOOSE . . . and: HER FACE IS A WINDOW WITH FROST ON IT . . . there is a direct rhythm in these things too . . . ID take them quickly . .

THATS ALL THE WORK . .

OVER

SECOND

I see BOOKS have given us more . . Thanks to Isabelle P. . I hope they'll
keep up . . I am going in# to get us some more publicity . . trying the
Sat. review and such . . they are interested in the commercial side of
artists and culture . . They also have a historical complex . .

I am certainly sorry that EXILE is going the way of them all . . I
had hoped to land this mag someday . . but he has printed an awfully small
selection of stuff . . his brain seems deep but veryvery narrow . .

NO NEWS . . an acceptance of four poems for OPPORTUNITY . . I may
have told yout this before . . and the CARAVAN have told me the poem they
were using which is one of a good many stanza's . . long . . and done in the
same style of rhyming and so forth, as LAST LETTER but about very very
differentdifferent stuff . . CITY OF IMAGES . . IM so glad they took a
long one . . I havent written many poems that long . . I think some of the
SPRING FORGE is good: Willard Maas has more promise than anyone new in a
long time . . ( Darling Bushby is always terrible! ) the others are merely
work . . a few of them are good . . I am going to group a small book and
send it to the BLACK SUN . . thanx for all the adresses . . it will probably
be sometime before I feel the urge to write to many people . .

So sorry to have had to wait so long to write . . I cant control such
things . . Im better now . . Im going somewhere . . maybe NY . . and Im
starting to work like hell . . say the poem the CARAVAN TOOK WAS _NOT_ what
I said ; It was: CITY WITHOUT IMAGES . .

Well that's all . . I'm tired and must write a thousand things today.
Write soon Darling . .

Kellie

When will Herrman come south? Maybe if I'm here I would like to see
he and his wife . . . however I doubt if I will be here if its very late
in June. . Yes BOOKS have certainly been giving us good publicity . .
I hope they will continue . . I also wrote a letter to RORTY after
the Nation write-up, but was taken ill about that time and never did
finish and send it . . . I like his work . . . Yes I got the letter about
Stein . . I know the address of Ellots magazine . . no one could
get in there . . I am glad to know that Kay Boyle has submitted. .
I surely do like her work . . why don't you stay in NY when you go
in July? My San Antonio address is 535 South St. Mary's Street, La
Fitte Hotel. .

I'll be damned glad to get out of this place soon . . It has
become a heaviness on my mind, and I can't write nothing . . This is
about the time last year that Lew and Ruth were coming, eh? Remember
how thrilled we were . . I am sorry that you have such a terrible way
is using people and throwing them aside . . Lew and Ruth know things
without effort . . which is worth a dozen of these straining poets . .

Send me about seven copies of the last BLUES . . the others will
all come back sometime to you . . I have them here . . I have sent out
copies wherever I thought it would help . . I have only sold three
copies . . and therefore owe you $1.05 . . I haven't given these BLUES
to friends . . I have no friends here . . One friend saw them and I
told her that they were on sale at Powers Book store . . But I imagine
that she never went for one . . such are the friends . .

Do you hear anything from Bertha Roffe? I sent the book of DOUGLAS
BROWN'S sister yesterday . . I finally read it . . I liked the style in
which it was written but it took a # sudden whimsical turn that
mad me ill . . imagine a # psychological stream of consciousness
thing turning out like a fairy story. . she shows promise . .

They have never sent me a QUARTER from N.O. And I don't think I've
missed very much . . I wish I had some good shrimp today, minus a few
of the outer membranes. .

Thank you for forwarding the letter of Williams . . It was a bit old . .
but I thought he knew my S.A. address . . he did because he sent me a
hook here . . but I guess he thought perhaps he'd gone somewhere else . .

How glad I WILL be to be on the wing again . . I can stand anything
but staying in the same place . . God how I long for a beach . . or
mountains . . or anything besides this steep glare climbing the blank
sky . . Texas the land of winds and plains and steep glades . . the land
of magic moons and stunted trees trying to sing in the long winds . .
land of great riders in the winds . . of brown cattle and red arroyas. .
Texas the far away from everywhere . . its cities blooming sprightly
on plains . . rearing up tall heading and challenging the world . .
Texas . . land of brilliant cactus flowers . . land of sand stcom . .
land of twanging accent . . land of no peace . . Texas astonishing the
whole world with its acres of great steep glare . .

I must go now . . have no money left to write again soon. .

June eighteenth 1929.

Dearest Charles:

I have had quite a little energy of late and have been writing and copying things off to send out. Just now I am sending things to Bushby's anthology, Tambour (who has already several of my poems unreturned), and This Quarter. Now that I have settled what I am going to do, before the honeymoon trip etc., I want to send out lots of things, and so when returning find a lot of work to absorb me.

The Fifth BLUES is real good. I will analyse it later this week. I DO think though that there is too much of one type stuff in it. If you will note the contents and compare them I think you will be able to avoid this. Is the next issue the Expatriate? Then I'll send something for No. 7. Since the Dial is going under BLUES has a chance to grow to that place. I'm rather glad they did, however I am going to miss their mag., it was pretty good. all we had. Then, too, I hoped we would make it before long.

I am glad that you have made poetry. that crazy hunch. I do not feel able to razzle with them so much over little things. However they pay, and they do give prestige as far as publishers are concerned. I may try sending them something soon. Im not afraid of them. just disgusted.

WHY don't you put the bookstores in London and Paris onto your list on the back page? They lend so much of an air. . . and they count like the devil. . . I am glad that the London bookstore ordered six copies. Have you ever heard from The Personal Svice shop in Austin, or from Powers? I am anxious to know what they say, if any.

Winter's returned some of my poems with a snippy note. however mimeographed sheets need not be so snooty !

I don't believe I would have book reviews in BLUES Quarterly. They are so much the same, etc. Yes the Hound and Horn ad was nice.

Niggli went with me one day to look at the Latin Quarter at the Menger. Isnt that a cute place. . . However I knew I would either go away or marry. . . and now that I have decided on the latter I can have as beautiful a place as I have patience to make it. I am ordering modernist book cases to be painted black. . . have had six beautiful etchings and drawings framed. . . they are all impressistonic and wonderful.

Yes I read about PAGANY. . . I think I will send something there, later. This is a little early since it wont be published until Janurary. . . ones manuscripts might be lost.

I am waiting for you answer to the letter where I have told you of my approaching marriage. . . I know that you will disapprove. . . I hope you wont show it though. . . This love is something that holds me now, and I cant be content away from here, and I can't have enough of it living along here just seeing him. . . If it isn't love, it will go away and I will be alright again. . . if it is I certainly dont want to miss the experience. . . We are going to Monterey or to New Orleans for the honeymoon. . . We wanted to go East but have decided that it would take longer than we can afford to be.

June 24th 1929.

Dearest Charles:

I was so thrilled when I read in your letter that I am to be in
Transition next issue with a prose sketch . . it is called CHAPTER and is
from the novel I was starting to write but have never done anything with
for a long time. Soon I am going to start afresh and make it go . . I will
have lots of time soon . .

Here I am on the verge of marrying and wondering WHAT to do . . whether
to go ahead in my way, back to New York with all this restlessness that keeps
me from doing good work, or to go ahead and have a bit of happiness that will
surely season my work and my whole life . . One should never be afraid of
life or anything . . I must not be afraid to marry Elly . . He is wonderful.
He is kind. Of course he does not understand me, but who does, who ever will?

That was fine about Farrell's work and Simon Schuster . . Covici Friede
said the same to me . . another publisher said he would take a novel if I
would write it . .

MacLeod has asked me for anything for BROGAN . . I think I'll submit
anyway. I have a hunch that he isn't fond of me . . however he has accepted
almost everything I ever sent to P V.

NO what about ALHAMBRA? I know NOTHING.

Well I will have to send a prose piece to THIS QUARTER . . I havent
seen CONTEMPORANEOS for May? Have you one? Elly and I might translate the
article about BLUES together . . He's a damn sight better than I am on Spanish.

I am glad that you found the boy from Chicago University . . I wish#
that I could find someone here . . I think I WILL . . I simply must before I
die . . If the Herrman's come there be sure to tell them to look me up, by
dropping me a note to my box, and if I am here then I will have them out,
and I am sure they will be enjoyable . . after this exile here . . However
I am glad to be here . . Glad for the lack of contacts: something is happening
inside of me, I think it is going to take a long time for it to develop into
a perfect book, or whatever, but I am willing to be here or anywhere a year
and try my hand at it . . It is like a great peace widening inside me, not a
beautiful child; my head is a widening peace: I cant feel time: everything
is motionless except this motion within me . .

Looked at furniture today and found some lovely things for our place. .
We are going to have a large informal studio room . . a black modernistic
bookcase with black vases . . a silver based lamp on a black gateleg table. .
woodcuts in back and white . . books . . space . . coolness . . darkness
out of which emerges a silver lamp, a white flower, a cool hand, a voice . .
jazz music and book written in french; these two things please me most just
now . .

I need to grow quiet until I can hear the ticking walls of mind. .

When will your sister be here? Are you ever coming back? We wont be here
more than a year, if that long . . then New York or the Philippines . .
I'm terribly disconnected tonight . . I must stop . . I am tired . . I
don't know what to do . . tomorrow I will know . . write often . .

Love,

June 27th 1929

Dearest Charles:

I had a letter last night from Salemson of TAMBOUR accepting one of my poems, and asking me to return the others he was returning to me, if he kept up publishing his mag. He said some very lovely things about my work. . offered to review any book I might have in Le Mercure de France . . And IM going to have a book . . will probably let Lew and Ruth do it . . I don't know any reason why NOT.

This stuff of MacLeod's looks a little better than his other work. Still I am not impressed by it . . it isn't spontaneous enough . . it has conscious qualities always . . I like O'Donnel's sketch . . He surprises me . . He seemed to take himself so seriously . . they all take New Orleans and everything so seriously . .

I am getting to gether a book of poems to send to the Black Sun Press in Paris . . I hope they will publish it . . They MIGHT. . Theres nothing like trying them . . I submitted two poems to POETRY this morning but of course they will be home again by this time next week . . I wrote them a short note and told them that I once thought there was something wrong with my work when they didn't accept it, but that now so many people and quoted some of the better ones agreed on the quality, that that could not be the trouble . . I WANT to make poetry for one reason: it pays: it pays _and pays_ because once accepted always Miss Monroe's angel-child.

I am still getting ready to marry . . Gosh there are so many things to be done . . and I am trying to get ahead on work before that time, I don't see how I will ever do it all . . Anyway I am surely going to study hard this fall, even though here in this place . . I am starting to study French under an old frenchman here . . I want to write on my book . . OH at times I have the impulse to run away . . but life is so lonely . . and the quality of emotion does not last always: the capacity for feeling: already at times I have lost it, therefore lost the balance that I need for work . . This will be a new Transition for me . . space and time to think . . maybe a little peace . . working hard this fall and winter to get books published and poems and storied printed in various things. I am going to send THIS QUARTER and PAGANY some prose work . . the latter also some poems . .

Well Dear I must stop. . LISTEN have you read Lewis Mumford's work in the second CARAVAN . . if not rush and read it right away . . I believe it impresses me more than any other writing by any contemporary American . . I had no idea such things were being written here . . DO READ IT . . Are you ever going to send me TRANSITION STORIES to read . . Swear I'll send them back . .

Love,

July second 1929.

Dear Charles:

I wish that I had time to write a long long letter, but just
havent. We are to be married a week from today and start on a honeymoon
in Mexico . . I have so many things to do that it seems I would never
get around to half of them . . first of all I am going to send a mss.
to the BLACK SUN PRESS . . I am also subscribing to TRANSITION and TAMBOUR.
Bushby accepted four poems of mine for his anthology, which may never be
published, IF I know publishers . .

I am returning OBLATE SPHEROID by Sullivan . . I don't think its
very good . . rather like so many other things that don't hit the mark. .

I am glad that Simon Schuster liked that of Farrell's. . It was
good . . I've done some wonderful things and sent some to ALHAMBRA and to
PAGANY . . I also submitted to BROGAN whether wanted or not . . what
does he mean masculine . . literature is literature, neither mas. or fem.
I hate idots who squabble over such sillinesses. I sure want to see
that piece in Contemporaneos . . copy it off and send it. . I am glad
that you turned your new orleans# experience into something . . That's
sublimation as Dr. Adler might say . . What is the address of RAY, I will
send for copies: how much is it British coin of course?

I must go . . I am having the most beautiful dress made to be married
in . . a Worth model ( not a wedding dress, a travelling dress) of black
grepe romaine with white . . must go to town and do a million things . .
one mail this to you . . three send the money orders for the subscriptions
to TAMBOUR and TRANSI . . fourth look at shoes . . fifth look for hat . .

Will you ever be coming back down here . . I wish that you would. .
I miss you so . . I think I WILL have to find someone who knows about
things . . else die . . NO I won't die . . I'll get a divorce and go away.

Write often . . love,

Dearest Charles:

I'm so angry with you that I don't know what to do. Here on
my return there was no LETTER from you . . . and none in Mexico . . . here I
have waited . . . of course there was a copy of TRANSITION . . . What was it
an extra, and whatever, then a lot . . . I enjoyed reading my fragment in
there . .

POETRY has decided in my favor according to North (J.N.). wanted
a poem named POEM if a word could be omitted and another changed and so I
said yes . . . I don't think that they are right in their changes, which I
shall someday prove by future work, and by same poem, printing it in my
book when I have one, as original had it . . .

We are back and have been several days . . . have a large airy place. .
I have a darling room: large, southeast, quiet, bright, a small typewriter
desk, rather good looking new furniture as to bed and vanity . . . a book
shelf, altho I havent unpacked my books yet . . . Elly has ajoining room
furnished similarly with a large desk . . . another desk is coming to me
soon, so I should have the space to write something and keep what I've written
straight . . . also study . .

I am very happy . . . life is simple and free . . . time to think . .
Elly likes to keep to himself a lot . . . Im having fun decorating the living
room modernistically . . . large overstuffed chairs, but wait, cover with
talented black glazed chintz covers, a black chnitz day bed with black
and white pillows, a silver lamp, ( no shade yet has been beautiful enough),
a gateleg table done in black . . . simple harsh cloth for curtains, the kind
that pull aside: none of the furbelows, or spalhed babbitt overdrapes . .
dark wide simple . . . and a black modernistic bookcase . . . I am starting to
work on my french, and hope to find someone here with whom I can study wood
carving . . . I would like to make a few attempts at this latter . . .

Bushby took four of my poems for the SILVER STALLION . . . They were
splendid choices . . . I had no idea that he was that clever . . . I thought he
would take the simple rhymed ones . . . but NO.

Darling if you ARE going to throw me over, now being a married
woman, ( altho we had the most adorable ceremony all in Spanish, with
two black witsnessess, and two white Mexicans, and we couldnt understand
a single word: the sun was very hot outside, and mangos were falling
to the grass, and a hoarse wind came up thru the great leaves: we left
there for a bar and had beautiful gin drinks tasting of oranges and looking
like snow . . . then that evening we danced and drank rye . . . then forth the
next morning to Monterrey . . . I'll tell you more later . . . I have some
splendid material for poems and stories . . . Now I am resting and thinking . .

Darling IF YOU DONT WRITE soon what will I do? WRITE GODDAM IT!

Love,

July 31st 1929.

Dearest Charles:

A few lines before I go to town and to the library. . Mostly about
having bought Gershwin's " AMERICAN IN PARIS" yesterday for the victrola.
Get it . . its wonderful . . I wish you were here this morning to listen to
it with me . .

I have a maid and cook ( combined) now . . and she is quite good.
So all I have to do is write and study in the mornings . . same afternoons . .

The EVENING NEWS made a crack about TRANSITION on one of their
editorial sheets containing Edgar Guest's newest twa-da, and so yesterday I
wrote them a letter about it . . I told them that I was surpized that they
should ever stumble on an international magazine of letters such as TRANSITION
but that I was not surprized that they didn't understand it. . I called them
a distributor of gerenal stupity and Edgar Guest . . and mentioned them
with the sentimentalia . . On the same page a poem was reprinted from the
Christian Science Monitor: " Dear Friendship, theme subblime of heart and
tongue, Down through the glades of time, Too feebly sung! ( hiccup) Help
me the song to raise, ( sneeze) Wherein shall blend, Gratitude, blessing,
praise To my dear Friend " . . ( reaching for the pistol) Now I will spare
you the other four verses of this poem (?) . . I know they will want me
boiled in oil, but they'll have to catch me first . . that's not easy.

I havent heard again from POETRY . . I guess I will though today . .
I will send the poem as I wrote it, and then you can see the way they print
it . . the difference is so slight that no one would notice it, much less
quarrel over it . . I t ink they had a frame-up to see if I'd give in to th
their judgement . . I havent given in to anything . . I was surprized that
they mentioned me in the July issue in the manner they did.

Please write . . OH yes the Exile number came and is grand . . I have
been studying it for several days . . I liked Kay Boyle best . . Crobby
next best, I believe. .

I must go now. . I hope there'll be a letter from you in my box,.

Lovely,

August 14th 1929.

Dearest Charles:

Doubtless you can see what a slump I have hit for letter writing. I have been a little better about my writing and sending things to mags . . . and I have read two or three books a day for the past week. The reason for my slump is this damnable heat. It is of the thick quality of stifling dull pain. I believe it is impossible for me to have any more energy until the first "norther" sweeps down and cools everything off. The grassy slope outside my window looks like a pool, so strong are the heat waves that drown the yellowing grass. Great clouds hang low. It seems one could touch this oppressive heaven than hangs so low. One is tempted to do so, to push it up again. I have done more thinking and planning for work, than actual work. A lot of things are smoldering in my mind. They'll soon be lifted to creation.

I think I am going downtown to live a while . . . alone again and maybe that way I will be forced to write something good. I live for my letters and lately I've had some worth mentioning. Last night I went hopefully toward the PO and found an ad, and the impossible new Kaledioscope from Dallas. I think it about time to scrap all those junky mags ## in a heap and set fire, the editors might be added too, to make a thick sweet sauce.

I am sorry that I didn't write while you were in Chicago. I had meant to. And I do hope that you had a marvellous trip. I, myself am hungering for NY, but realize that the heat there is worse than it is here, at this time.

I appreciated the snaps. They are pretty good. Who took them? I am going to have some made and will send some. I wish you were here this afternoon. We could sit in the large living room in great black chintz covered chairs and drink and talk about things. Tube roses are everywhere over the house in tall lily-like stalks holding their petals aloof from silver, from black bowls, from blue, from thin glass. Books are everywhere. . orane books on an orange drop leaf table, black books on a black dropleaf table. . Lots of things to talk about.

Say I just refound the paper you sent me RESOLVED etc. Do you still want it filled out? I dont like the idea much. .ANSWER.

My God, use those Harrison books to throw at unwelcome guests. There's no worse way of insulting people.

I saw in the paper here where your sister was in an auto wreck. . . She must be alright by now. . Oh yes Elly said thank for the poem you wrote for him. . He liked it, and I did too.

I sent some work to Johns again this morning. I am anxious to see him mag come out and make its bow. NOW if you would send me a couple of extra copies of BLUES, I could write to people about it; there is a new writer on the Herald-Tribune who might like it. I take the Tribune daily now. Has Hansen said anything in the World? I am going to join the clipping bureau and get the clipping about CARAVAN and other things containing my work. I've heard nothing more from POETRY . . I think I will write them that I've changed my mind and cant let them have it.

Love and write often, Dear,

Dear Charles;

WHY n'ell don't you write? Did they hip you off in CHI? Or what?
DO tell me WHAT. I thought you were only going to be there a few days
so I didn't write to you there. . now you must be stay ng a long time.

Well, here's some news when you do return. . I am going to Panama
probaly by way of New York . . I do not know the date yet but will in
a few days. . Naturally I am glad to cut loose from this San Antonio.
I am glad to cut loose from the U.S.A. I am glad for the whole thing.
A warm winter in smuuer clothes . . books and time to study . .
barcardi rum . . studying Spanish harder . . the tropics heavy with
fruit. . heavy and burdened with huge flowers. . thin rain . . and
a straight sea wind through palm trees . . well naturally I am
glad . . so very glad . . I hope that it wont be too soon and I
can sail from New York . . rather WE . . for Elly, too . . Perhaps
you can visit us there sometime this winter or next spring . .

I don't know much else. Wrote one splendid poem the other day. .
want to get the books: BLUE JANE, ETA and EATER OF DARKNESS . .

I must stop and go to the library . . recetly I have read
a lot of Virginia Wolff and Elinor Wylie . . The Hotel ofBowman
I enjoyed very much . . Shelley and Poe . . in facy everything
available . . I've done nothing much read . . sometimes read two
and three books a day . . Porgy, yesterday . . It is rather late
to read it, but its splendid..

Dowrite. . and what has been the matter. . I hope your trip
was successful . .

Love,

8/22/29

August 26th 1929.

Dear Charles:

Yes, I think BLUES is better for a book as IS, than to scrap up another anthology of poetry . . . I think this small volume of BLUES would interest some publisher, and would help you financially, and would be worth buying. .

I will be in New York two months before sailing for Panama in December. . . Thank goodness to be there again. . . and I will return there in the spring. . . I will live in Christabal, Panama. .

I am going away now on a little trip to visit an old girl friend here in Texas, but my mail will be forwarded, and I am taking my typewriter, Then return here and prepare to leave. . . then to Galveston or New Orleans and on to NY by boat. . . so I won't have very much time here now, . . Thank god for that.

Hope to see everyone in New York and do many things. . . above all study some at the library there. . . read a lot of new books. . . see the few worthwhile plays that will be coming on. . . here some music. . . drink some beer and discuss aesthetics. . . Must write to Williams as I haven't in so long. . . also want to meet VOGEL and others.

Five poems of mine will appear in the September issue of ALHAMBRA. I am quite pleased because the material that I saw in their one issue, was very very good. I guess I'll probably go around and talk to him. . . Also want to attend some lectures at the New School. . . of any are on poetry. .

When are you going to New York to stay? Why don't you go and get a job and work. . . however you had better have a little money before getting there. . . then get someone to find you a place to live that isn't too exorbitant. . . I don't know just where I'll live when I return. . . I like to live in the Village because it is so near to everything. . . but the rents there are too high. . . so I guess I'll go back uptown. .

Write. Do you want anything of mine for number 7? When is this number to be issued?

September 15th 1929.

Dearest Charles:

Well, your last letter seems to deal with your trip to NY
very soon. Are you really going to stay when you get there. . and are
you really going? And when?

I, too have nothing to write. God I do not even know when I am
going to NY. . I thought early in October but I don't know. . hell to be
married and have to wait upon someone else decisions . well I don't think
I'll be going that much longer. I think instead of going to Panama I will
probably stay in NY. Panama will probably mean death to me in the end, and
why should I give up my health life and everything . . I'm terribly disgusted
with everything. I cant write here . . and there's nothing to do . . And still
cant go to NY yet.

I saw the Niggli girl the other night. She left for NY yesterday
by boat from Galveston. . I am glad I wont know where she is, and maybe
we'll never run together. . But god I dread NY. . the expenses and the
tiresome running places. . Is there no agreeable and intelligent place
under the sun?

I cant understand why you dont go back to college? Its better
there. . and god knows you need to learn something. Why dont you?

I hate to see BLUES go under, but supposed that it would at
any time, since it wasnt a serious endeavor, but merely a mood. It has a
fairly good start, but of course no new magazine can pay for itself unless
it sells to the popular mass of people.

I wrote to WC who was conducting the IMP column while she was
away. . and never got a thing out of it. He must hate that sort of stuff
worse than she does. I understand that she only mentions such things
because she likes to show her teeth at them.

I haven't submitted anything. I have written a few. Some are
pretty fair, but difficult. They will never be published.

See, I don't know a thing to write. . not a thing. . just ill
and disgusted and lonely and tired. I don't want anything but a negative
sort of peace, and a running away from all this misery. I'd like to walk
down Fifth avenue at dust and watch the pigeons at the library . . or like
as not if I were there, I wouldn't want it. . but something else . .
One thing I do want is shrill cold air blowing on me over me ceaselessly.
I want the first snowflakes on the eyelashes and the first harsh winds
blowing away this empty fever that burns away my blood.

Do write again. . . and tell me if you are really going and
what the earliest you can go, will be.

As ever,

September 22nd 1929.

Dear Charles:

I am glad that you're going to stick to BLUES another issue at least, and I do hope that this issue will bring in new adds and good criticism. I will do all I can in NY to make people realize that it exists. Will you see anyone you want me to about it, and maybe I can get a column item from a few who have ignored us as yet.

The poem that J.N.N. accepted of mine for poetry was sent back by the old hag HM saying that she was afraid that she couldn't use it for at least two years because she had so much work on hand, which is a goddam lie. Anyway I am so disgusted with her# and her# magazine that I shall NEVER submit again. I hate plain stupidity and she is certainly the pliestest and most stupid of all. she should be selling stuff in a second hand bargain basement. She probably has the worst poetical taste of any editor of her time, evenHARRISON or BEN, or Vinal. They do try to understand someing about it.

YES I know all about college stuff, too . . . but if you will look at most of the people who have done good stuff that you admire, they managed to avoid the worst of college and get the best. As for the NEW SCHOOL I want you to see it . . . I want you to attend it. By god it has an ideal, but is about the worst thing in NY. . . as total failure it does sound good. . . I've been to many lectures there. . . maybe one a kurse a year there is worth listening to. . . I DO WANT you to go there . . . YOU've probably never heard of the other radical schools there . . . but they are there. . . and some of them are as good or better than the NS.

I haven't seen the new CARAVAN. . . but will buy it as soon as I arrive in New York.

What is this JANUS? I have some sort of announcement of it. . . what by the way is NEW MYTHOLOGY? However I might send them something just to see . . . but afterall what does it matter publishing all this a stuff in these little new half-baked magazines?

I may let you see the poems that I call difficult. . . but you are very absurd saying: " if they're good BLUES will print them". . . dont you KNOW that they might be good, and you might not know it? And they are good. . . but nevertheless they will never be printed in this era, or in this country. . . Dont set youself up as the god of literature. You arent and you should know it. Your experience has not been vast enough, and the same is true of almost everyone else. Maybe the Caravan will use these poems next year. . . I am going to show them to Mumford if I get the chance.

Yes such a statement as " wants a serious effort but merely a mood" might apply to me. I can't imagine my taking anything of the sort very seriously. . . not that I wouldnt put all I have onto anything if it were selling stockings. . . but I couldn't take my own critical opinions so seriously. . . some of the best things have been done in a mood. . . however you have done something with BLUES. . . probably not as much as you think, or for the reasons that you think.

I hope to see WILLIAMS while in NY. I must write to him. . . I never answered his last letter for some reason. . . he writes so stragglingly constantly talking about disappointing his friends. . . Well, I am

2

not at all disappointed with him. I don't expect much of people
because I dislike giving myself, so I'm always grateful for what
they give. God knows I never take time to think of asking for more.
that is what comes of being the type of egotist that I am.
I am glad he is writing the preface it there had to be one. I shall
be glad to talk to publishers about the book, too, if you want me
to. I might get it accepted. and I do intend to make my time
there profitable. and try to get a book of my own accepted.
and some poems, too.

I'll try to write something for Bushby's anthology. I wish
he had had it accepted by some other publisher.

I am going to NY in two weeks unless the typhoid shots I st
start tomorrow make me sick. then in three weeks. I am going
in October. that I know. and I am going to Panama before
Christmas. but will return to NY in the spring. Christobal
will be my address and I'm getting a post office box there so I
can take care of manuscripts. I hear Rhapsody in Blues being
played next door. It reminds me of the times we used to listen
to it.

Sorry your only point of contact with our things is leaving
I have had no one for so long. but there is one girl here I
go with quite a bit, who is artistic. she's from Cal. and has
study dramatic art under. kussian schools there. and is a
pretty intelligent girl. we read Cumming's poetry a lot between
cocktails. also there is an officer here from Harvard who knew
Cumming's quite well. we spent one half drunken evening reading
poems and talking. otherwise I long for NY and cold weather and
the smell of Chanel no 5 on furs and the long black subways and
the shop windows and red wine and students who write poetry and
Lew and Ruth's studio. I'll soon have it unless these shots
prove too much. then I'll have it soon after. for at least
a month.

Do write often. I haven't written much lately and get so few
letters. Unless you want to meet me in NO I will go by way of
Galveston I think. may go by train.

love,

apt 82, 605 West 113th Street, N.Y.C.

Yours very best friend, I send this award only so you can see it.

I love you very much and will always be your best friend.

I will miss you very much when I return.

I wish I could give you all the time I want to.

I am sure you will be very happy without me.

Love, your best friend

lovingly, Charles

I really don't know why you won't write. I've written several
letters and at last expected to hear from you. But there was
nothing in Miami and nothing here.

I asked for a BLUES quarterly at the Washington Square Bookshop
and they were not very nice. . . she said no they didn't carry it any more
and that they had to weed out some of those little magazines of that type,
whereupon I told them more about it, but then walked out. . . they are all
seems to be a better sort of book than any I have read before.

alike. . . every one. . . they like to be called nobel and good to modern
movements, but unless flattered continually, they cant hold up. The final
issue of the LITTLE REVIEW ( have you seen it?) mention them as understanding
etc. . . you should hear her praise the LR. Dumb as hell, all of this stuff,
the people who are supposed to be so fine, so big toward arts.

I've seen a few people. . Siegel and Gildea and a few of their
type. I'm not interested in them any more, altho I di think Siegel is good.
I have only a month and there are so many things I want to do, I do want
to see Williams, the editor of Alhambra, and a few others . . Zukofsky, too.

If you will send me three or four copies of the new BLUES i
will see if I can't get them to the right people for a review. I am going b
to try Henry Hansen, and others. Also I am going to the New School today to
get their program for the year. . . I'll be there at some lecture, and want
to see one of the editors of the Salient who is a friend of mine.

The Columbia Bookshop had no BLUES either. . . I did get a
HOUND AND HORN there and saw the nice ad of BLUES therein. However they
didnt insult me about BLUES, just said they remembered it but had no copies
now. I am going to work on a book mss to send to Yale press before Nov 1st

so I really think there won't be time for much else.

I met a boy on the boat who knows the French poets pretty well. . . we read poetry a lot. . . read the Love Song of Mr. Prufrock every day, so Eliot's GERONTION, which I really like better. He is a Frenchman and has a beautiful long name. We spent a little time together here after the boat docked. . . went to a couple of wild little restaurants and drank and ate. He stayed at the Brevoort Hotel and conversed in French with everyone there. . .

Time has passed and I am rested from my trip. Now there are so many things to do. . . and one main thing, to avoid most people I know and to stay out of the Village as much as possible.

One thing I do like is to write. . . and one main thing, to avoid most people I know and to stay out of the Village as much as possible.

What are you doing? Are you ever coming here? When? Are you going to write? Are there things I can do to help BLUES while here? People to see? Bookshops to interest?

Do answer this sometime.

Love,

I could never be so bold as to tell you my name. But you will see that I am a poet. And so will you, if you look hard enough. And if you want to know about my art, you will have to go to my website. There are many other places where you can find information about my art.

I could tell you a lot of things about myself, but I don't want to tell you what you already know about me. Instead, I will tell you some things that you may not know about me.

One thing that will surprise you is that I am not really a poet. But that's because I am not a poet in the strictest sense of the word. A poet is someone who can tell a story that will make you think and feel things that are not true. And that's what I try to do.

But you will see that even if you were a poet, you would not be able to tell me everything that I want to tell you. And that's because I am not a poet. And that's why I write the way I write.

November 11th 1929.

Charles, My Poor Dearest:

Your letter arrived early this morning and hurt me terribly
because it made me see that I had been unfair to you. I only wish that
this seeming unfairness did not exist, and that I could talk with you. I
can't put all these things down in words on paper, and make the thing clear
at all, and I realized that after I had written that racicious letter. But
what are we to do? When will you ever be here when I am. My god so many of
these things are true, and there's no way of showing you these attitudes
except by seeing these people together, and talking together, and thinking
the whole thing over afterward.

Maybe Tyler is alright but I cant bear him personally. I did like his
first stuff, and there was a time when he was blessed with a sort of
reticence that is the most divine gift of god. We are all experimentors
and why should we put on airs. we are all students and workers with new
mediums; at least we should be tolerant with each other. But Oh Dea r No
here comes the swaggering prebentious ones and spoil the whole show. God
knows I'm tolerant, to a terrifying degree, but I do expect others to be
and to at least respect the bounds of another personality. Tyler's letter
in the quarterly BLUES is sillier than ever, but I do think his pomps are
the best of his modern things I've seen. They postively border on the
sane, the clear, the brilliant. I am not saying that they ARE. But an
approach is something, is decidedly something.

I've been ruthless with you, because I wanted you to see things. Not
certainly because I love you any less. I wanted you to do something with
BLUES. I wanted it so passionately. You know how passionately I can want
a thing to BE.

The last issue came Saturday night. I read it while waiting for
A. Flored the Alhambra editor to call for me . . . and I think the cover
and contents are more to the point than any other issue. I liked it.
IT's a thing to think about and weigh out. So much of it isn't good, but
it is highly readable. Flores and I went to some highbrow literary crowd
on Park Av . . . but ended by drinking great quantities of the punch and
with result. I met a good many people. The Bookmann editor among them.

I haven't seen Morada and don't want to. I agree that MacLeod is
terrible in his writing and in his judgement. That crowd and all the
others can surely go tohell.

BLUES has been. Thank god that there is someone to cause such
magazines to start. I suffer from a great lack of enthusiasm and a
great lack of effort outwardly. There's so much within. . god it is
terrible to live so placid without, and be a sort of wild menagerie
of shrieks and wars and death inside. Is there no way out of this?
Is there no quiet peace? So place where I may be quiet long enough
to know the inner part better, to do something with this force, to
polish the brilliancy of the mind. Otherwise Charles I am better dead
and there is no death in life, I've tried too long for that, and I
am better completely dead than this. god knows i intend to be before
long. I doubt if any person would ever say: she died because she
could not live: they'll all say: she died because of something we never
knew, some dirty scandal, or some secret fear.

None of it is true. Forever we are confronted by life by
attitudes, but never by truths. Our friends wont tell the truth. And
the truth is we have no friends. It's true we have nothing but a sort
of shell to hold the dynamite within. This is true and lasts

over

until the power rots, or burst the shell; and in the first place is
life, an outward shell and nothing else; the latter is death that
breaks the shell and expends the force. Better whole oblivion than
partial decay, the slow sure poison of inactivity.

The new Caraman is beginning to look for new writers and new
work again. I must try to get some things to them now at once. And
then I want to try to make Hound and Horn. And I am trying my hand
at a nother type of mamuscrupt. Between all this Charles I am
eaten by a dort of life that is making me desperate. My God why
can't someone endow a place for poets who want to study and who
are serious.

Will I ever come back to New York. Will I even live until spring?
If I do live will there be Paris, or Spain . . what will there be.
What will last? What will become of me, the conscious, the unconscious,
the girl, the woman, the brain, the visions? Are they all swept aside
is everythi g swept aside? Better to be swept than go mad in a
jeweled tower where the candles have burned out in long drafts of wind.

what will you do now? Are you coming here? And when? Arent you
really going to try to keep BLUES alive any longer?

Write to me. Write to me. I have time for several letters, more
likely two. I'll write again. When misery is less potent. when will
it be. I know you are suffering too, darling. I'll even try to get
along with PT for our sake. Only I just wont see him. But I'll be
tolerant, and can be as long as I dont have to fight around him.

Zukofsky is coming this afternoon. I'll write you about him
later. And I'm not going to tell anyone that there'll be no further
issue of BLUES. Not yet.

Love, Darling, forgive me
seeming cruelty,

dearest Charles:

I am confronted with light of candles, and before this window
not twenty feet away an great expanse of bay that changes color in the
sun, but without sun today remained a bright silver where small herons
circled and cried. What are you thinking tonight; What has happened to
you. i feel as a ghost who had wandered upon a flowering season and
who is enchanted by the spiritual aloofness, the delicacy of feeling
without the numbing movement, without the effort that ends in dissatis
-faction. Before the window of the room where my desk sits the sea
all day sounds loudly: at morning two sail boats depart for unknown
goals: the rain beats the plams all morning: evening comes sudden:
earlythe hibiscus hedges are cut with a fragrent clip clip. We live
we walk, we ride through the greenness: we see the fruits heavy and
sweet hang downward: we see the flowers irisng from the jungles:
we know that orchids grow fraily in the depth of forests where the
great cats cry. There has been no more, but a great deal of rain
and boat whistles: they go continually toward the north speaking in
spanish and the softer tongues. You should write. You should be ready
to go to NY now. You should publish another BLUES. You should love me.
You shouldwrite. The letters come slowly here. There's only one who
remains faithful, and writes often. You should write. You should write
more often.

Kattleya

Dec 3rd 1929