EZRA POUND

RAPALLO

VIA MARSALA, 12 INT. 5

Italy

11 Dec. 1925

Dear Mr Price :

Thanks very much for your letter. I have already spent a certain amount of time and postage stamps trying to contradict the statement that I was contributing editor to ROTH or to anyone else.

At any rate I have nothing to do with TWO WORLDS, and have never seen a copy of it.

Walsh sent me a protest and finally a leaf of the New Republic, full page ad. stating that Hueffer Joyce and I were, etc.

I don't believe they know anything about it either. At least the Paris Tribune printed a vague note saying that they had been seen and found in ignorance.

As the New Republic gang contains several people who nourish no good intentions for me, I though possibly they had accepted the ad. in malice. On the other hand they are such boobs that they may have believed it.

At any rate one couldn't prove it. Roth I know isn't worth the powder. At any rate an author has no protection against publishers of any kind. Once and a while one strikes a white man.

The Little Review used my name long after I had requested them not to. But then they had been of use.

Mind you I think the American arrangements for suppression, (vide my note on Joyce, and the penal code in " INSTIGATIONS ") are so damnable.

EZRA POUND

RAPALLO

VIA MARSALA, 12 INT. 5

etc. that there is something to be said for private
publication.

And when years ago Roth, about whom I knew
nothing, wrote to me, after the Ulysses trial, I
approved a general proposition to publish a magazine
on the lines he now says he is publishing Two Worlds.

During the course of time the situation changed,
but I head nothing from Roth until a few days ago I
received a request from him to contribute to T.W.
therefore

I don't know that I have any legal case against
him

NEW YORK
Herald Tribune

Monday, April 11

Dear Pound:

Here's all the dope. Read it and gripe.

Jeesus, it was a grand affair. I wouldn't have missed it for fifty dollars ($50). I sat in the first row of the gallery, where I could look down and see the high hats, and look up and see the young gang. They were all for George, to a man. They were young as hell, and they made an awful lot of noise, believe me.

I didn't give a damn for the string quartet; it was disagreeable to listen to, and only faintly interesting. The sonata I liked better, but not too well. The jazz symphony was best. It was excellent jazz, and I like jazz. I've heard better jazz, but never any of the same kind. That is, I liked it very much as jazz, and was very much interested in it because of its difference from all the rest. The ballet I enjoyed chiefly as a show. Maybe I watched the crowd too much, and kept making too many notes on my program. Any how, I'd certainly like to hear it again, several times. Wish I could go to the repeat performance a week from Wednesday, but impossible to get off. My wife says she's going, though only a week out of bed. Hope it doesn't kill her.

Your father wired he couldn't come, so I didn't see him before the concert. But he phoned me this morning and said he managed to get here after all, and heard it. Was delayed because your mother was unwell, and couldn't come. I had lunch with him today, and a good talk - he's a good guy - and then he was anxious to see the Roxy theater, so we went there for an hour. It's awful big, but not gaudy; pretty decent, on the whole, and impressive. Cheap stuff on the stage, but an excellent big orchestra.

Have to work. Thought you'd want these clips right away.

316 W. 14th St.
New York
March 28

Dear Pound:

Received notice of shipment, and hope to receive copies this week. Why did you cut it to 270? My paid orders total about 250 now, which leaves only about 20 for review copies. As a matter of fact, I can't think of even 20 papers, etc., it's worth while sending free copies to.

Herewith following MSS:

John Rose Gildea, 11 Commerce St., N.Y.C. - long jigger, "The Mutterer"

H. W. Kaufman, 49 Morton St., N.Y.C. - story, "Blue Funk" (Kaufman has made great friends with Antheil, and just called up to say he is sailing for Paris with him on April 23. Antheil promises to get him a job there)

Bryllion Fagin, 3916 Duvall Av., Baltimore, Md. - story, "The Priest of Love"

Raymond Kresensky, 2330 N. Halsted St., Chicago - 4 poems, "Ballad of the Postponed Child", "I Have Walked Streets", "The Marginal Way", "Stillborn"

Paul Saturen, 5223 Columbia Av., Philadelphia - story, "Eight O'Clock"

W. C. Emory, Box 241, North End Sta., Detroit, Mich. - 4 poems, "Cabaret", "The Forge Shop", "Chant" & "Septic"

Sorry you're sick. Have been down with grippe myself.

More later.

New York Herald Tribune

First to Last - the Truth News - Editorials - Advertisements

Nov. 17, 1926

Dear Mr. Pound:

My new wife says, "O well, it'll provide you with day
dreams for a week or so" - but she hasn't known me so damn long. I
don't see why I need be stopped. You have the name, fame and genius
and I have the enthusiasm and gumption. My biased opinion is entirely
in favor of the review, of course. If you'll set your heart on it, so
will I.

Small, but not "thin". Not precious. Say 64 pages
instead of 200; but better unborn than 32 pages. Any reasonable format
will do. Three times a year at 50¢ is excellent. Don't know of any
word like quarterly that would do, unless tetramonthly? Pretty bad!
Better to call it "POUND'S JOURNAL". You're so much a legendary figure
to thousands my age it would be like seeing Voltaire up again; your name
on the stands, I mean. Yet you're a young man and it needn't be a flash
in the pan. It _must_ be regular, and it might as well keep on being
regular.

Contents: Give yourself this much - a poem not over 2 pages
(preferably understandably satirical) and the last 10 to 15 pages for
prose: comment, onslaughts, theories, notes, all one article, or what you
will. As to art or illustration I'm not decided; maybe better none at all.
Such contributors as Hemingway, Cummings, Krutch, Larsson, Burke, Lardner,
Harris, Ford, Joyce, Stevens, Toomer, Cullen, Vale, Eliot, Anderson,
Carnevali, Sandburg, McAlmon, Williams, Stein, Cowley, etc., etc. Two or
three of those I don't like and some you probably don't; some you may not
know and you'll know a number I don't. The single test should be to
print nothing whatever except what you personally think is damned good.
And I hope that you won't think anything is damned good that I can't

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understand! But it should be your personal organ, and stand or fall by
the quality of your own writings and the writings of others that you pick
as winners.

It mustn't be departmentalized; there's too much of that.
Absolutely no departments except your own at the back. All else creative
work - stories, poems, essays. Not even book reviews - except such as
you choose to write. Only one critical article by someone like Krutch
or Edwin Muir or Mary Colum or Stein.

Is that more or less your idea?

I have to guess because you didn't specify. What sort of
immediate effect do you aim to produce? What do you mean by "setting
certain people in action"? Who, and what sort of action?

As to business of American distribution (by the way, how
about having an agent like me in various cities?) I believe I could sell
300 copies of No.1 without advertising. I'd promote it by publicity and
especially by getting letters printed in the various literary weeklies, etc.
With $100 to advertise with I could sell 1000, probably; but let that go
for the second number. As soon as you make it quite definite I can set
about getting orders, and I believe I can get a good bit of cash in advance.
Are there customs duties on such things? I take it you would print it
where you are, if the Fascisti will let you. You should send me a
prospectus or manifesto for use.

For Christ's sake let it be free of misprints!

As to one of the publishers: I think unnecessary, but
will drop a line to Boni and to Liveright just in case. A publisher's
organization is tremendously valuable but he has so many other interests
out of which he can make more money.

I read somewhere that Walsh had suspended publication.
What has happened to him personally? You're right about expensive
quarterlies; they can get a supporting circulation only on the basis of
corneriness. The New Criterion is beautiful but costs $1.75 here and

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three fourths of it is so damn dull that people like me can't afford
that for the other fourth.

If you're still thinking about a series of articles
instead, these are my impressions. New Masses is an excellent job
but not sensationally good; besides though it isn't preaching communism
or anything it is distinctly proletarian and you aren't. Mencken's
energy is about half devoted to turning away people who want to write for
him; hitting on a popular formula (which Haldeman-Julius also exploits)
he only needs to exercise judgment and discretion to keep going, which he
does pretty well. I enjoy some of his stuff but don't believe you belong
there; you might get articles in but you don't belong. The Mercury
idea is chiefly bunk-smashing, just hard-headed iconoclasm; some of them
get pretty pash about it but they don't seem to have any passion for
literature as such. Even their poetry is either moralistic or anti-
moralistic. They have no use for Cummings. . . . Vanity Fair is tiddle-
de-dum - no influence, just Culture. . . . Am sending you a copy of the
November Survey Graphic with an informative article on the best American
magazines. I found it interesting.

There is a market here for anything so far as sheer
prosperity and curiosity goes; and I firmly believe there are more people
seriously looking for good stuff, and up to it, than ever before.

Am enclosing an ad which shows how Roth has got along.
He must be getting rich. He used a good selling technique - lots of
sultry advertising - and when he's a bigbug will probably reform like
the railroad buccaneers and be another Nelson Doubleday.

Suppression needn't be thought about. There is so much
latitude allowed at present that it would be silly to try to go beyond it.

Never heard from Williams and didn't feel I had enough to
offer him to take the initiative. Not being either writer or thinker.

By the way, how about Middle Westishness? Are you for
that, as Ford and the transatlantic were? I think it averages dull, with

New York Herald Tribune

December 15, '26

Dear Mr. Pound:

Both your letters received tonight. O.K. all around.
I'm going to go right ahead with preliminaries. Have
written to Customs House about duty, Washington about copy-
right, and four printers about minimum cost here. Also
prepared a 100-word notice to send all over hell (will have
it printed boldly) which commits you to nothing, but saves
months. Have made up list of over 100 addressees, and will
double it tomorrow. Will write you at length and in detail
in about a week.

You've heard Williams got the Dial award of $2000?

Had no reply from my note to Slater. Fear I didn't
word it right - or he may be away.

The enclosed will amuse you, by Ned Allen. If you agree
he can write, shall I ask him to do something for the mag?
What should it be? He's a newspaper reporter who just finished
a Rhodes scholarship.

The format sounds excellent.

1217 EAST 53RD ST.
CHICAGO ILLINOIS

January 5th, 1927

Dear Mr. Price;—

I have been thinking over Ezra Pound's needs for his new magazine and have decided to send you MY FIVE HUSBANDS. This ms. I submitted some time ago to a group of editors, all of whom declined it. Mr. Mencken said it was so sexy that no magazine would publish it. Yet it is not immoral at all. It is a character sketch involving a particular sort of philosophy. It is a pure travesty. I have no idea on earth what Mr. Pound wants. If he does not want this, I shall not be surprised. Still, I think there is some merit in it, considering I wrote it, and I have never had even one husband.

I am referring some poetry to you. Philip Van Orten, 47 Willow Street, Brooklyn, has some rather unusual stuff. It seems obscure to me, but others may like it. There is a novelty to it.

7.8.77

1288 Alexander Ave.,
Winnipeg, Man., Canada,
March 1st, 1927.

Dear Mr. Price,

Your Mr. Pound he ees wan awful **homme**! But he
can't make **me** angry!

If it is Pollyanna "dope" he wants, perhaps the
enclosed will come nearer to hitting the bull's-eye. I pride
myself upon being, at least, versatile--so much so that I have
"landed" anything from children's verses in HOLLAND'S MAGAZINE
to a satyrical essay and sophisticated verse in the GREENWICH
VILLAGE QUILL, so if I ever **do** find out just what Mr. Pound
desires for THE EXILE--he shall have it!

I suppose, though, that he will take a swig of
good, strong vinegar, suck a piece of lemon, and then return
my ms. with a few sarcastic remarks--before the puckered ex-
pression has had time to fade from his face!

Some people are incapable of appreciating true
art, anyway. (I might say that my "The Knell", of course, falls
within the category named). Please forward this letter to Mr.
Pound with my ms.--and I hope it will make him gnash his teeth,
whether real or artificial. And that's that.

Very furiously,

New York Herald Tribune

First to Last - the Truth News Editorials Advertisements

January 25th

Dear Mr. Pound:

Just received your letter, and as a matter of fact, I'm relieved as hell. I more than half expected to have my head taken clear off. I've been thinking more and more the last three weeks that that was what I deserved, as the enormity of my offense in blabbing it out to the papers without your permission got clearer. I was scared to death that you'd be sore and tell me I had to take it all back and curl up in a corner. So - many thanks for your moderation, and I promise not to do it again!

Now, the vital thing is manuscripts, isn't it? They make the yesorno. I've sent you quite a number, a few of which I think were worth considering, and I'll keep on collecting them by any means if I can. That of course is hit or miss - you haven't explained to me yet any central idea, though I've asked you about it. Apparently you have a number which you would like to use, if you could find some more worth putting alongside of them. Being youth, I'm impatient, of course; but I'd be perfectly willing to hang on and dig away till "late in 1927" for the first number, instead of "early".

However --- with four months coming between publication dates, I see no reason for waiting until stuff for more than ONE issue is on hand. With a monthly, you'd have to; but with this, if the first one sells out and makes an impression on the young writing world, and gets attention from the more liberal critics, won't a lot of the unknown but promising bid for places in the second issue? I'm certain they will.

The first could be very good, and the second twice as good.

* * * *

I've been reading, lately, Violet Hunt's book "I Have This to Say" and the picture she draws of Ford's labors when he was starting the English Review is startling. So many people working, so long a time, so many famous names casually collected, so much pulling and hauling and begging and snobbery behind the scenes, and all that, with Ford nearly killing himself and having to give it up before long after all - it's thrilling but not pretty.

...

You speak of the need(?) It is there, I think. So far as I know (and I keep track) there isn't a single outlaw or experimental

2

magazine going now, or being planned, except this. The Mercury
has been accepted and gone over big as - you know what it is; the
New Masses is very interesting but entirely proletarian; the Dial
is very interesting but entirely aesthetic; and so on. There is
no S4N, Broom, 1924, Secession, This Quarter, or anything of the
kind. Why, I don't know; the land is filled with cranky young
writers with revolutionary ideas, if I know the signs, and yet they
haven't, at the minute, any organ. There is much more organization
of new life and originality in the theatre and the movies and the
art world, right now, than there is in writing; new little theatres
by the dozens (the newest started last week with Otto Kahn's backing
and Em Jo Basshe, Mike Gold, Lawson, etc. in it), two "art movie"
houses here now, radical shows in painting all the time and the
National Academy just today shows signs of breaking wide open (two
members resigned) over a decision to let some moderns in on the next
show. Book publishing is all right - you should see how they're
advertising Hemingway, for example - but when you look over the
magazine counters, all you find is the hundred standbys and maybe
a Haldeman-Julius Quarterly! What the hell?

One story I sent you has been sticking in my mind, though
I read it only once, and I want to put in a good word for it. It
was *Rain* "Rain" by a fellow named Kaufman. It had guts and brains,
which are the two things I most admire. He came up here to see me
last night - a tiny, unshaven, pink cheeked young Jew - and we had
a little talk. He's been *kitty* assistant city editor of "The Graphic"
(New York's most interesting newspaper), was originally from Detroit,
has been trying to freelance for a year or so but had everything
turned back from the magazines, and has just taken a job reading
manuscripts for "I Confess". Invited him and his wife up to tea
Sunday at our slum, and my opinion may change; but entirely aside
from him, the story was good.

Guts and brains is a good formula, I think. I'm a little
tired of talk about the intellectuals; some of them are brainy, and
some aren't, and the brainy ones are worth reading, and the others
aren't worth anything. The brainy ones who also have guts are worth
reading and swallowing.

Now, who are Hickok and Rodker? Never heard of them.

You can't, of course, sacrifice cash payments for your own
stuff unless on the chance of compensations. It might help me if
I knew how you lived - what on. Surely not on your writings?

Which would bring up the question of the cash back of
the magazine - the minimum mazuma necessary to print and ship the
first number and pay at some rate for the contents. Who furnishes
that?

Have had one further estimate on printing here - $500!
Six firms to whom I wrote asking if they could do it "under $200"
didn't answer at all - including country shops that I thought might
be willing to.

I have been reading "Personae" aloud to my wife, and have
been finding a lot of things in it that we like as well as the old
favorites we knew from anthologies. We decided three sets of
couplets in the Dance Figure for the Marriage at Cana in Galilee
could be included in the lists for greatest lines in poetry. As
good as

3

The stars look very cold about the sky
And I have many miles on foot to fare . . . things like that.

Well -- there's a firm here called The Post-Box Book Service, a couple of Southern gentlewomen (and very nice) who have a small office in the forties, and sell current books by mail, at the regular price with no extra charge for postage. It's very handy for out of town people, and they have built up a good little business. I used it a year ago Christmas to send people books for gifts. When I was in there the other day (paying for your book) I suggested they might sell some of the magazines by putting circulars in with the circulars they send out regularly, and they thought they could dispose of quite a number.

I assume the commission for them, and for book stores, would be one-third off?

Several book stores have written me, unsolicited, asking about this.

I have an idea for a really concentratedly useful mailing list - one that should yield about 30% or more of subscriptions. It is to send out circulars (when and if the magazine is ready to print) to the contributors to the Dial, New Masses, Saturday Review of Literature, and possibly Books (our supplement). They would let me address envelopes from their card indexes, I'm pretty sure; it's not the same as asking for their subscription lists.

Am sure enough of selling 300.

Larsson's always looking for a meal ticket. He's the perfect parasite. Hasn't worked for more than three years. I supported him (more and more grudgingly) for several months, till he found rich ladies. I think one of them sent him to Europe as cheaper than keeping him here. But I will say he doesn't mind starving a damn; gets $20, spends it in a night, and goes without a dozen meals without a whimper. More than that, he thinks and talks concentratedly on his work or other things when his belly is pinching like the devil - I know. He has some sort of genius in him. Which reminds me, he once read me a fairy tale he had written that was quite wonderful. Ask him about it.

Your "civilization is surreptitious" idea - I guess I get it. But logically, you must be aiming at suicide then, if you're so sure they'll abolish you when you give them an idea of what you think!

The letter to the "World" is O.K. I'll send it to Hansen tonight, and ask him to get it in Sunday if he can. I'll explain that I was chiefly at fault.

---

My long-windedness is tiring even me, so I'll mail this and write whatever else I have to say another day.

["# New York Herald Tribune\nFirst to Last - the Truth News - Editorials - Advertisements", "Feb. 2, 1927", "Dear Mr. Pound:", "Herewith the following MSS - \"g., b. & i.\" ::", "Carl B. Adams, 33 Forest Av., Cincinnati, article, \"Values Revalued\"", "Helen Pearce, 220 W. 14th St., N.Y.C., four poems: \"Exterior\", \"Herod, thou in my morning\", \"A Fortress Thou\" and \"Ghosts\".\n(She writes, \"These have had the honor of rejection from two or three of the magazines mentioned, chiefly the Dial.\")", "Ellen Burns Sherman, Ashburnham, Mass., four poems: \"Fox-Fire\", \"The Sepulchre of Time\", \"The Second Calvary\" and \"The Beckoning.\"", "Elizabeth W. Durbin, 415 E. Franklin St., Kenton, Ohio, eight poems: \"A Creed\", \"Our Hero Dead\", \"Groping\", \"July\", \"A White Rose\", \"To the Theatre\", \"Palship\" and \"An Average Man to his Town on its Birthday\".", "Am also enclosing \"The Sun's\" review of PERSONAE, by a\nrather well esteemed critic, Lawrence Morris.", 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_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x

NEW YORK
Herald Tribune

Feb. 9

Dear Mr. Pound:

All set. I received your surprising letter four
days ago. Hoped to have the copyright stuff set in our composing
room (which would have been CHEAP) but they were loaded up with extra
work. Printer wanted $20, but I got another to do it for $15 - damn
high at that. Enclosed are 15 of the broadsides; I told him he
needn't be careful - and he didn't even indent it! Sorry, but I guess
it's just as legal. Wrote the Copyright Office immediately for the
proper application form, and am expecting it now. That will be O.K.

Meanwhile I have made other preparations: Printed
150 of the cards you wish sent out and have them all addressed and
ready to mail. Typed 50 cards notifying persons who have made
inquiries to send in their subscriptions, at $1.50. Wrote out 100
letters to booksellers asking for their orders, promptly, and have
them all addressed and ready to mail. Being held up by this copy-
right business, I have had no chance to get any orders before Feb. 10,
which you said was the last date I could write you. But on about the
15th or 16th I hope to be able to cable you to double the order. If
not, well, not.

Munson came to see me the day after I had your letter,
and was much interested. After a long general talk, it appeared the
best help he could give would be by lending me the old SECESSION list,
which he still has; by talking to his friends, writing them, and so on.
Now that No.1 has gone to press, there is no hurry.

Sunday, Henry Strater called up and came up for
waffles. He's a damn nice fellow. He was very much interested in
Canto XX, and talked to me about the others, most of which I have
never seen. His wife has had a bad broken ankle, which is why he
hadn't come before. Shall see him again.

Am enclosing receipted printer's bill for the
broadsides ($15) and the cards ($2.75). Am keeping careful account
of other necessary expenses - and intend to keep them down by NO MORE
PRINTING. (Typewriting is cheaper)

Use my address, 316 West 14th St., on the cover.
If this reaches you too late to get it on, I will stamp or write it
on or if it would look bad, will insert a slip or something. It will
be my address until June, at least, and possibly until October. I
am using it on all this business now - though the H.T. has not kicked.

Enclosing a MS, "The Presence", by Samuel M. Lowden,
516 S. Miller St., Shelbyville, Ind.

Am hearing of another magazine, "Transition" of "The
New Review", to be published by Eliot Paul and Eugene Jolas in Paris.
Will it be direct competition?

Feb.20 (2)

Enclosed is a piece by Hemingway from The New Yorker. It's amusing, and perhaps Vol.2 of Harris' life deserves it; but I thought Vol.1 was a damfine book. Nobody seems to agree.

Did you see review by Eliot in Nation & Athenaeum for Jan. 29 of book by Rodker?

Enclosed are two clippings (all I have seen) re pirating of Ulysses. Don't see what good a mere protest will do. Why the hell doesn't someone hire a lawyer?

By the way, if your "An Immorality" was copyrighted, Roth printed it in one of his issues.

Glad to hear that Wadsworth has been in your part of the world, but should have been more pleased to hear something more than that he "left yesterday for Florence". He hasn't written me yet either. Did anything come of your conjunction?

Wife and I had dinner last night with the Henry Strater's, in their hellish nice duplex apartment. Very fine and likable people, both of them. Talked from 7 to 10 about you, Ford, Joyce, Hemingway, and Roth. Strater gave me a list of about 20 more names of people who ought to subscribe, and is going to urge some of the writers he knows to offer stuff. He has heard a rumor that Ford is starting another magazine, but doubts it. Have you been able to use the list of the transatlantic?

Yesterday's Eve.Post Lit. Review has article by W.C.Williams (who has sent me three subscriptions) reviewing "Personae" - which I assume will be sent you. If not, ask for mine.

Haven't received copyright certificate yet, but expect no trouble. The application is in. As to registering title, this is done at the Patent Office, and the fee is $10. I don't believe it can be done anyhow, after studying the enclosed work, "U.S. Statutes concerning The Registration of Trade-Marks". If you want to figure it out, and think it worth the fee, let me know.

Went back to our morgue the other night and looked up the file on you. Only about 8 clippings. The oldest, 1912, an anecdote told by you at the Authors' Club about a woman and the ashes of her dead husband. Others included a feature article by Guy Hickok in the Brooklyn Eagle, some book reviews, etc.

Ran a cross reference in Violet Hunt's book to you as "the lightsome secretary" of F.M.F.(H.). Dashing with him about Germany.

Enclosed is sample of form letter I am using for rejection slips. I suggest you improve it and return for permanent use.

Also enclosed is draft of a circular which I wrote night before last, to be used before second issue. It is planned as advertising matter, not as publicity. Booksellers, and especially magazine dealers, are in general somewhat less intelligent than the average person, and the approach has to be low. All the facts and figures given in it are problematical, of course, and entirely subject to correction or omission. The matter relating to you personally is entirely subject to your permission to use. I shall do nothing

NEW YORK
Herald Tribune

Feb. 28, 1927

Dear Mr. Pound:

Herewith the following MSS:

Emelda Deshaies, 935 Mass. Av., Washington, D.C. - 4 poems - "The Good Natured Man", "Joan of Arc", "Ballade of the Rhyme" and "Shadows".

Lieut. Arthur J. Burks, Box 1094, Ocean Beach, Calif. - prose piece - "Dream Cathedral".

Edwin Seaver, Woodstock, N.Y. - two prose pieces - "Saturnalia" and "Towards San Salvador".

Edwin Morgan, 3641 N. 29th St., Flushing, L.I. - 6 poems - "Dionysus", "Note", "Portrait of the Author", "Intimate", "Return" and "Plunge".

Joe Gould - 2 chaps. "Art" and "Insanity" from his "Oral History".

Miss S. Kolture, 120 Columbia Pl., Atlantic City, N.J. - Prose piece - "The Parched Planet".

Margery Swett Mansfield, Apt. 76, 517 E. 77th St., N.Y.C. - 5 poems - "New April", "The Body Is Less Naked", "Clothes", "The Tree" and "Abracadabra".

"Arnolda" (Margaret Kimball, Mass.) - 3 poems, untitled.

Louis Ginsberg, 163 Quitman St., Newark, N.J. - poem, "Crowded Streets"

Mabel Jack Minetta Pl., N.Y.C. - poem, "She Had Something"

Mildred Maxine Christian, 747 Peyton Bldg., Spokane, Wash. - poem, "Humanity's Frankenstein".

Will Burt, 705 S. Arizona St., Butte, Mont. - story, "The Hog Pen".

It's nearly all the God damnedest sort of junk. The last thing listed is an exception.

Also enclosed a thing from "The Italian Literary Guide Service" and some advertising from the Literary Guild I thought you might be interested in. The Guild is having a merry battle with all the publishers and booksellers; two others are also in the field - the Book of the Month Club and the First Edition Society. The latter is a farce, and I think the Guild is a better proposition than the Book of the Month Club.

2

Have just seen a proof of next Sunday's "Books", with the
letter of protest signed by a couple of hundred about Roth's
pirating of "Ulysses". It reads well, and may put the kibosh
on him after all. How come your name isn't on it? I suppose
it will be in all the lit. sups.

Received your gracious acceptance of two million last Monday;
good story. I rewrote it, typed 31 copies, and sent them off the
same night to all the New York papers and one in each of the other
major cities, for use Saturday or Sunday. So far as I could find,
it wasn't used in New York. I was going to subscribe to a clipping
bureau until I found out how much it cost. Will try to track it
down in the other papers.

Your reason for rejecting that story "The Imp" was damn poor.
If you didn't like it well enough, O.K.; say so. But what in hell
prohibition has to do with a good story - any more than the prole-
tarian revolution - I can't see. "Curse of America" - bunk!

Gorham Munson has loaned me the subscribers' lists of SECESSION
and S4N, which I am copying for future use (No.1 being almost sold
out now). I will copy off and enclose the names and addresses of
his foreign subscribers in case you could use any of them.

All right - I'll bother you as little as possible with the
business end - but since you're the owner you've got to know something
about it.

March 3 [1927]

Dear Pound:

It's too damn bad your letter of the 14-15 didn't get here earlier. I'd have been spared the postage on a lot of guff I sent you Monday.

Am enclosing some exceptional poems, received from Howard Weeks, Detroit Free Press. A number of lines in them are magnificent, and perhaps the wholes will strike you as so. He probably has better still up his sleeve. I told him you'd write him direct, if interested. Never heard of him before.

Seymour writes that you evidently have more sense of humor than I have. Am not getting pale, however.

There's trouble with the copyright office. They won't register the broadside as a periodical, and seem doubtful about accepting it even as a "book". I am being courteous and patient, and explaining everything over and over again, and hope to force a way through the red tape soon. I presume (and hope to God) the 300 Exiles have been shipped to me by now, so there would be no use cabling about it. Will let you know developments, and if they refuse finally, will send you the correspondence as raw meat for a bloody article.

Who's "Al, Shaw", that you speak of in connection with Brer MacFadden?

As to females: HURRAY !!! Their new freedom is a curse on the arts. I believe the biologists wholeheartedly when they say females run less to extremes than males. Hundreds of them turn out good work, flood the market with it, and none of them are superb - or one in a billion - to the one man in a million. The Elinor Wylie-Ellen Glasgow-Mary Austin type is very painful to bear. But thank God for my wife, she agreed! She'd rather be one, but she's a biologist herself, and can't be fooled.

NEW YORK
Herald Tribune

Friday, April 8, '27

Dear Pound:

This is a hell of a life. I'll be surprised if I ever
get my hands on those 270 exemplaires printed paper. They left
Havre on the "Suffren" March 16, and didn't reach N.Y. till March 29,
since which time the shipping agents at this end assure me they have
been trying to get them through the customs. (I think they're damned
liars, but they declare it always takes at least two weeks.) Today I
went to their office and paid their bill ($23.45!!!) and they said they
thought they could deliver the magazines to me Monday or Tuesday.
That will make them more than a month in transit - and that's intolerable.
Especially considering how much it cost.

I'm going to try to find out how much it would have cost
to make up a number of packages and send them parcels post. I believe
it would have been much cheaper and much faster. Or via American
Express. If your printer takes an interest in such matters, tell him
how much it cost and how long it took, and have him see if he can't ship
the next issue in some better way.

Meanwhile, your father writes that he has received a copy
(by the way, please mail me two or three hereafter) and "hopes I don't
lose my job on account of it. Gee, they're red!" says he. He wants
to know if I can "survive" the Rodker piece. Also Payne of the Cinci
Times-Star has received a copy from a friend in Paris, and given it a
write up in his paper; says he can't make head or tail of most of it.

I expect to see your father Sunday, as he is coming up for
the Antheil concert. Which, by the way, was completely sold out several
days ago.

Received letter from the copyright office this morning
which apparently finally denies copyright on the broadside. I will

2

send you the whole correspondence, and perhaps you'll want to do an
editorial or something on the subject. Don't believe I can do anything
else about it, but will discuss it with your father.

TRANSITION was put on sale here several days ago, and
seems to have sold out immediately. Haven't been able to get a copy.

Publishers' Weekly says Joyce is suing Roth for $500,000
damages - Arthur Garfield Hays, attorney. The April issue of TWO
WORLDS MONTHLY is dedicated to you, like this: "Dedicated to Ezra Pound,
who, for all that, is the greatest poet of this generation." I never
heard of such crust. Presume you have seen correspondence in The New
Statesman concerning Roth. He tried to defend himself, but they
showed him up. Did you and Ford ever consent to be his contributing
editors, and did you ever dicker with him about Ulysses?

The Bookman, Johnny Farrar's pap for the amiably literary,
has been sold to Burton Rascoe and some other fellow, who take charge
beginning with the September issue. I like Rascoe's stuff, and look
to see him make a first rate magazine of it - as stout as the Mercury
and less narrow.

I want to know these definite things about the June issue:
First, what is the latest date at which it will be shipped? Second,
who are the contributors? It _ought_ to be shipped by May 15, because
people begin to leave town by June 1st, and bookstore sales would be
considerably less for each week of delay. Also, let me know the
latest date at which I can cable the size of my order; and for God's
sake give me the full amount I ask for. This cutting from 300 to 270
makes my very tight, as 255 are _sold_. I expect to order at least 500,
and hope for more. And when do you expect to print No.3?

As soon as I get No.1 distributed and cash the checks,
will remit $75.00 - 250 @ 30¢. That will represent a loss for me,
as I hadn't figured on such heavy shipping charges; but will try to
get it back on No.2.

3

I have received several decent looking MSS which I will
forward in a day or two.

Was laid up with tonsilitis from last Thursday till this
Wednesday, and meanwhile my wife unexpectedly had her baby, a month
early. It's a boy - good consolation - and pretty healthy looking,
and she came through very well.

What has been the general reception of No.1 in France
and England?

NEW YORK
Herald Tribune

[1927]

Friday, April 15

Dear Pound:

It gets worse and worse. I have had to pay $37.10 duty, with little prospect of getting any of it back; and I haven't got the magazines *yet*.

The customs appraiser called me in to see him today. He decided that EXILE was a book, not a magazine, and therefore subject to 25% duty on the invoice. I couldn't convince him it was a magazine. A magazine must be dated, and he would not accept "Spring 1927" as a date. You must, therefore, put a definite date on future issues. Secondly, a magazine must "be published at stated intervals", and the statements in EXILE do not explicitly say that. You must, therefore, make such an explicit statement in future issues. Thirdly, EXILE could not be accept by the postoffice as a magazine for second class mailing privileges, because it is published only three times a year, and four times a year is the minimum they allow. I therefore urge you to make it a quarterly, both so that it can get second class privileges (quite a saving in mailing) and so that there will be no further questioning by the customs officials. You should also, in the next issue, state the dates of publication, as March, June, September and December; or if you stick to three issues a year - March, June and October, or something like that. Because it was appraised as a book, it became subject to 25% duty. Now why in hell the printer made the invoice read "2700 francs" ($106) I can't figure. I am paying you at the rate of 30¢ a copy, which would be only $75; but I have to pay 25% on $106. So with future issues, in order to be on the safe side in case they continue to refuse free entry, see that the invoice is made out at the rate of 10¢ per copy. No more.

The 25% duty amounted to $26.50. In addition, because the "book" was not marked, in English, "Made in France" or "Printed in France" (as the tariff law requires it to be), I had to pay a 10% penalty, or $10.60. Making a total of $37.10. Now these errors are not your fault, but they were more clearly not mine; and I can't afford to pay for them. So when the magazines finally get into my hands, I will send you a check for $75 less $37.10. It's hell, and I sincerely hope it will not cause you to stop publication. There needn't be these expenses again, if it is properly handled. Do you agree that I am being fair?

It is lucky, in a way, that the copyright was refused, as a "book" that is copyrighted in America cannot be printed abroad and imported. If the copyright had been granted, the magazines would have had to be returned. It is different with magazines - they can be imported even though portions are copyrighted here. But of course, since the copyright was refused, the copyright lines in EXILE are unlawful, and I had to spend most of the afternoon at the Public Stores building crossing them out with indelible pencil. Also stamping "Made in France" on the back cover of each copy. After paying a nigger guard a dollar for the loan of his stamp!

As to the chance of getting any money back, by proving that it is a magazine: I am informed that when the duty is less than $50, the

NEW YORK
Herald Tribune

2

entry cannot be "liquidated" for about six months, and no protest
can be filed until that is done. The shipping agents tell me
that the protest against the $26.50 duty would have to be handled
by a firm of customs lawyers, who would demand 50% of it if they
got it back. So all I could hope to get would be $13.25 (less
expenses) six months from now. Will try to get it, and if I do,
of course it's yours.

Hope to have the magazines delivered Monday - but I don't
have much hope. More trouble will come, I suppose.

Ain't it hell?

Yours,

P.S. Wadsworth appeared a couple of days ago, and brought me
some books and things, including copies of BLAST, TYRO, etc.
He also brought me a copy of THE ENEMY. Some loving, millionaire
woman must certainly be back of it! I wrote immediately to The
Arthur Press, demanding to be made the American agent, if they care
to distribute it over here. I take it you don't give a damn.
Or more likely that you'd be glad to have me do it. If you hear
of anybody else that wants an agent, tell 'em about me. I'm full
of ambition.

P.P.S. Will send Roth, in a plain envelope, a copy in which the
copyright lines are not crossed out. Perhaps that will stop him.

*** If you still write poetry like the Ballad for Gloom, The
Goodly Fere, Manhattan, etc. - I (and damn near everybody else, I
believe) think a hell of a lot more of it than of the Cantos.
We don't know Italian, Spanish, Greek, Latin, Provençal, German,
Lithuanian, Burmese, Patagonian, etc. - and we continue to fail
to know what you're talking about.

Would suggest also an eloquent article on the idea of
harmonizing factory noises.

Samuel Grierson

1442 Pacific Street
Brooklyn, New York.

800 words

AN ANSWER TO GUY HICKOK.....PERHAPS.

After all it is far better to have a "former comic song
writer at the City Hall" than a maker of platitudes. Our well
dressed Mayor does not, for one thing, put his nose into matters
that concern decent citizens very little. The late campaign for a
Pure Stage for example. We had a similiar campaign during King
Hylan's reign. The stand taken by Walker in this matter was far
different from the one taken by Hylan. Hylan, in short, joined
the Puritans uprising of his time. Walker stood aloof. The results?
The plays that Gnawed at the Foundations of Civilization in the
years of Hylan's term continued to gnaw until they grew unprofitable.
The plays that Debased the Morals of the Younger Generation under
Walker were closed. Mae West, - Author and Leading Lady of SEX -
languished in jail and cotton underwear for ten days. Democracy,
the tabloids and Mayor Walker were saved, and of the three, Mayor
Walker came off with all of the honors. He did not attend the plays
questioned and become Shocked and Nauseated. He did, if I remember
correctly, take a trip. Far better to travel than to preach. True
the Mayor might have lingered and sacrificed himself in an endeavor
to prevent these plays from being persecuted, but it would have
been a useless sacrifice. The Puritans were out for blood and
they got it; - Mae West's.

This, I think, is a small item. Any mayor is bound to
be good in something. Even Hylan gave us free opera which was
worth the time spent in listening to it. To say Hylan was a better
mayor than Walker is to admit that he lived in Paris during the
Hylan administration. No, Walker is a better mayor than Hylan though

2

I shall make no attempt to prove it.

However, neither Hylan nor Walker is, say, a Seth Low. Were
Seth Low living today his chances of becoming mayor of New York
City would be null and void. In fact I doubt very much if he
would wish to become mayor of New York City. Only a man with a
tough hide would want the job. Only a man who cares little what
is said about him would have the constitution for the job. People
even Guy Nickok - remark upon Walker's lateness in arriving at
the City Hall. Should Walker arrive early people would remark that
though he arrived early he accomplished little. So it goes. At
the last election for mayor of this city the voters were given
the choice of Walker, Hylan and Waterman (the fountain pen king).
The intellectuals voted for Walker. Whatever freedom in expression
possible for them was to be had under Walker. Walker has lived up
to this expectation. He has not made life hard for the writing man.
I doubt if Walker reads much himself but at least he understands
that there are others who do - yea, even unto Tunny. He raises no
asinine barriers. He issues no moral bromides.

As for street sweeping. Under what mayor were the streets
ever kept free from filth? With the population of the city in
general throwing papers hither and yon is it possible to keep the
streets of this city clean? Is it possible with a noraml tax rate?

And the liquor question. When did the Free Citizens of the
United States ever know how to drink: An isolated citizen here
and there, yes; and even today such a citizen can be found. I do
not refer to isolated citizens. When did the Free Citizens of the
United States ever know how to drink? Before the Noble Eighteenth
Amendment? Surely, if not before, then not after. The Free Citizen
knew how to guzzle and he still knows how to guzzle. He drinks not

for the pleasure of the drink but for the pleasure he will
derive from bragging. He will brag for days about how drunk he
was on such-and-such a night. He will not tell of the pleasing
quality of the liquor (assuming that it possessed a pleasing
quality) but he will tell of how the boys had to carry him out
at midnight. A party must be a Wow. A few drinks can never be
pleasing. It has always been so or history lies.

With the human face as it is how can one expect to judge
intelligence by looking at it: Mr. Nickok did not see many
intelligent looking people on the streets of New York. Well,
neither do I see any when walking, but I have seen hard boiled
taxi drivers reading THE AMERICAN MERCURY if that means anything.
I have seen dumb looking females (the dumb-dora type) reading
better books in the subways. I have failed to find a reader of a
tabloid paper who believed the garbage is printed therein. Of
course these things prove nothing. But I am not writing this to
prove anything. The fact that we have no law compelling our
citizens to listen to the radio is something to be proud of.
In so far as my personal research goes I might state that only
old ladies in their dotage and natural born nitwits are the only
regular listeners to the so-called setting-up Exerises and
the Early Morning Prayers given by many of the go-getting radio
stations.

["NEW YORK\nHerald Tribune", "April 18, 1927", "Dear Pound:", "Now as to method of making next shipment to me:", "The French Consul-General here writes me as follows:-", "In reply to your letter of the 7th inst., I have the honor to give\nyou hereunder the tariff for \"colis postaux\" from France to the U.S.A.:", "1 kilo. . . . . . Frs. 10.50\n5 \" . . . . . \" 16.75\n10 \" . . . . . \" 29.60", "I take it \"colis postaux\" means parcels post (which is\nwhat I asked him about) and I figure out his table about as follows:", "2.2 lbs. . . . . . $0.42\n11 \" . . . . . . . . . . .

NEW YORK
Herald Tribune

Tuesday, April 26, 1927

Dear Pound:

Thinking too much of the tale of my troubles with the customs people wouldn't make you any happier, I wasn't going to write again till I got delivery of EXILE, as I felt certain of getting today. But another official (a red headed one) has stuck his nose into it, and it will be another day or two, at least. It is now just 28 days since they reached this port. Even your father says it's hell, and I don't suppose he ever cusses.

Am enclosing reviews received by "transition" and "The Enemy". I doubt that we'll get as full notices, but we can hope. Haven't seen anything in English papers; if there were any reviews, tell me so I can look them up.

Enclosing also some further Antheil notices. Didn't get to see him before he sailed, but heard second hand (from Kaufman and Wadsworth) conflicting stories about the cancellation of the second concert. As near as I can get it, he was disappointed and discouraged and forgot how hardboiled he ought to be - and Friede consented to the cancellation instead of inducing him to go through with it. I think it was a very bad mistake.

Have seen your letter in The New Statesman - a very good thing. Enclosed is a clipping from The Publisher's Weekly giving a very full but terse account of the recent censorship incidents. If you have time, you could write to or for some American paper or magazine about it.

I have some manuscripts on hand which I will send you shortly. Am returning about four out of five.

Yours,

An assistant customs appraiser grabbed my arm the other day and said, "Say, the fellow that wrote that stuff in your magazine must be a narcotic friend! Nobody has thoughts like those except under the influence of drugs!! We don't want stuff like that here - we're going to have to defend our women and children against the Bolsheviks pretty soon!!!" Honest to God.

SAMUEL GRIERSON
1442 PACIFIC STREET
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

April 30th, 1927.

Mr. John M. Price, Agent,
316 West 14th Street,
New York City.

Dear Sir,

I received THE EXILE and I like it very much. All of it - including Mr Guy Hickok's article. I trust THE EXILE will live.

The enclosed speaks for itself. Mr. Pound may have it without payment if he should desire it. In any case, I shall not attempt to use it elsewhere so I do not enclose a return envelope.

NEW YORK
Herald-Tribune

May 5, 1927

Dear Pound:

I see by the evening paper that a customs inspector fell off a subway platform and got his arm cut off. Hot damn! They're barring the Arabian Nights and the Decameron now.

Sent you off a batch of MSS this afternoon, some of it of the journalese class and some more serious efforts. Am going to mail out circulars and order blanks to 1000 booksellers May 10th, giving a discount on orders received by May 25th. Would like to have waited until I heard from you about the date of No.2, but am afraid it would be too late to get orders. So expect a cable from me May 26th or 27th telling how many copies I want, and have them shipped immediately if possible. Then I can figure on getting them by the middle of June.

No reviews have appeared as yet.

About the 50 or 60 copies you have left: - If you shipped them to me, I'd have to pay duty and go through all that copyright and marking business again. So I think you had better supply them direct, by mail, to people who want them, and I'll refer inquirers to you.

The Dunster House Bookshop, Cambridge, is the only one so far; I told them to send you a check at 66¢ per.

We're moving to Astoria day after tomorrow, and everything is hellish upset.

WILLIAM CLOSSON EMORY

P. O. BOX 241
NORTH END STATION
DETROIT, MICH.

May 30th 1927

Mr. John M. Price,
7 Chaucey St.,
Astoria L.I.

My dear Mr. Price,

Sorry that Pound couldn't
see anything in my last poems but ce la guerre.
Having accumulated one of the finest assortments
of rejection slips in America, I believe, one
more or less will not deter me from still be-
lieväng my stuff is good.

I am enclosing three more
poems and you may use your discretion as to
whether or not they might suit him.

The first number of Exile
was fine my only criticism being that there
ought to be several hundred more pages. But
then we cant have verything for $1.50 can we?

With best wishes

Sincerely

7 Chauncey St.
Astoria, N.Y. 16201

June 4, 1927

Dear Pound:

Hereewith the following manuscripts:

Story, "Ways of Escape", by Laurence S. Ross, R.F.D.1, Allendale, N.J.

Poem, "The End of the World", by Robert Clairmont, 61½ Perry St., N.Y.C.

5 poems by Clifford Gessler, c/o The Star-Bulletin, Honolulu, Hawaii.

7 poems by George Whitsett, 308 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa.

3 poems by W. C. Emory, Box 241, N.End Sta., Detroit, Mich.

2 poems by Oliver Jenkins, Box 76, Concord, N.H. (He is editor of "larus", which he says he will send you. Says also something about Covici wanting to advertise in Exile - which I presume you know of.)

Story, "The Promise of Arabella", by Oliver S. Arata, 6187 Pershing Av., St. Louis, Mo. (This is a gem.)

I cabled for only 500 copies of No.2 because the response to my circulars and advertising has been damned disappointing. However, that's double the first issue, and if No.2 is as much better than No.1 as I hope, there should be a considerable increase on the third. Orders in hand total between 350 and 400, and I believe I can dispose of the rest.

Brentano's say they have placed an order through their foreign agent. Is that O.K.? They ought to be my biggest customer.

New mags. are springing up right and left - a Jewish monthly, American Mercury style - a literary monthly edited by G.D.Eaton - etc.etc.

Your mother has sent us three boxes of flowers - beauties!

NEW YORK
Herald Tribune

Sep. 1, 1927

Dear Pound:

Yours of the 16th received today. I'm glad you
take our troubles so genially.

I spent the whole afternoon figuring things out as
per your suggestions, and as result am writing Covici as per
enclosed. The twenty dollar error isn't faked - it's fact;
but if it hadn't been fact, I'd have faked it if I had thought
of it, in order to try to bring him 'round.

It comes down to this - that it's a fine thing to have
him publishing EXILE here, and he can undoubtedly get a much
wider distribution than I could. But it would only be a hindrance
to him and a squandering of energy for me to try to distribute it
at the same time; these things have to be centralized. So my
connection with it, except as a rooter and snapper up of MSS, must
be closed up. He is, in other words, taking over the American
distribution. But he won't do it! My God, he ought to be glad
I haven't any bad debts to turn over to him; I collected every
nickel for No.1.

Suppose you had arranged with me, instead of Covici,
to publish it here. I couldn't have dodged the magazine's past
obligations, could I? Then how can he?

Perhaps he didn't study the papers I sent him carefully
(they came back quickly enough). The letter I'm writing him
puts it as simply as it can be put.

Glad No.3 is shaped up, because now that the publicity
has died down, nothing is coming in at all.

Will continue trying to find the "soap awl".

2.

stamps", booksellers' directory, circulars, advertising, etc.,
were legitimate necessities of promotion; all but the latter
paid for themselves - or would have if #2 had come out as expected.

All this detail is a nuisance to me as much as it must
be to you. The transference should have been accomplished at one
sweep.

I hope you can make a decisive arrangement of some sort,
and will let me know as soon as you can, as inquiries are piling
up which I can't answer until I know something. One, from Sweden,
I am enclosing for your attention.

The New York Herald Tribune

Dec. 27

F'28

Dear Mr. Pound:

Enclosed is the first fruit of publicity, a paragraph in the World. Their circulation is some 300,000 odd. Also a copy of the postcard notice of which I mailed 350 last Thursday. About 140 went to the literary editors of all the newspapers in the country which have literary editors (print book reviews); the rest to the literary, book trade and general magazines, publishers, book stores, and individuals. I printed 500 (cost $5 for cards and $2.75 for printing) and intend to send the rest out, chiefly to the editors of college literary magazines, etc., after the holidays. I don't really expect to get any MSS worth while in this way, though there's a chance, of course; but I do expect to get some subscriptions and some general interest and knowledge of the thing. When you have your contents ready, we should prepare a prospectus of about 300 to 500 words, to mail to all the literary names I can get, the bookstores, the papers, etc., as a real subscription puller. I think I see a good many more than 300 copies sold - if desired, of course.

Had to root around for a week to dig up the little lists I've used already; can dig up more and better ones in time.

As to printing here, it doesn't look possible. Of the four printers I first wrote to, one hasn't replied; one replied that 500 copies would cost more than the selling price ($250); another that they guessed they would cost from $300 to $350; the fourth, whom I went to see personally, have just given me a detailed estimate amounting to $262 for 500 copies, $282 for 750. They are The Haddon Craftsmen, who print the American Mercury. Now all these are New York City printers, who have to pay union rates. I will try some country ones (have the names of a few) and see how they charge. Miss Heap at the Little Review was kind, and gave me the names of two or three, but couldn't say they were cheap. Mr. Bacon telephoned me a couple of names also, of city printers. Did you say 500 copies of a 96 page book like the ANTHEIL would cost only $75 or $100 there?

As to copyright, the copyright office has sent me some literature in answer to my query, which I haven't studied carefully yet; but from a superficial examination I think it could be copyrighted "ad interim" (whatever that means) even though published abroad. Don't know how long the interim would be.

The customs house referred my inquiry about duty to Washington, and I haven't heard again from them yet.

While I think of it - an Englishman named P. Beaumont Wadsworth, a friend of mine, is going to the Riviera Jan. 8th to settle down and write a novel, I think. He says he will come to Rapallo, and as he had a talk with you once in London when he went to see you, will call on you again. I knew him at Cambridge on

2

his previous visit to America, and have seen much of him here. He writes for the London Observer, and is turning over his correspondence for it to me when he leaves. I think he said Joyce had sent him to you.

Am surprised you don't know Krutch's stuff. He is the Nation's best critic, and I think he is damned good. Very lucid - beautifully so - "well balanced" but extremely intelligent, about on a par I think with Edwin Muir; except that Muir is Nietzschean and Krutch is Freudian. Full name is Joseph Wood Krutch. A young man.

Have you noticed poems anywhere by a MacKnight Black? One or two in the Dial, I think, and one in the Jan. New Masses. They look good.

No argument about Mussolini; I think Italy's fortunate (if they like it) for the time being; damned efficient and all that. Probably bad trouble when he goes, however. But if they don't trouble you, that's good enough.

Was much more interested by the ANTHEIL book than expected. More on that later perhaps.

If you will give me half a dozen subjects for "good journalism" that you could use, I might get them covered. Good journalists are easier to put your finger on than writers with the spark in them. I proposed to Wadsworth that he write an article damning all the dramatic critics in New York (he's a modern theatre bug, writes on it, goes to plays every night, reads everything, and hasn't any use for any critic, I believe). He may have done it when he reaches you; if he hasn't, talk to him about it.

Don't know Cullen personally, but sent him a card; if you like his work, you could write him direct, c/o Opportunity, 127 E. 23d St. It is the negro magazine which pays more attention to the young negro artists than the other, The Crisis.

The Vale I spoke of is Charles Vale, whose real name is Arthur Hooley. He's a cousin, I think, of Mitchell Kennerley, who uses him for proofreader and writer of odds and ends at the Anderson Galleries; he's a brilliant and scholarly Irishman who would drink himself to death if not managed. I worked with him at the Anderson Galleries, and wondered at him. He published a novel once, which I've read but can't recall the title of - a strange book. Also he had a long review of that Wilde book they dug up (Portrait of Mr. W. H.) in the Dial two or three years ago. I don't know that I could interest him enough to get writing out of him, though he likes me, but if at your leisure you wrote him, I think he'd respond. He wrote also, by the way, the little critical biographies in the catalogue of the John Quinn collection, which I hope you have. It's the best bibliography of modern literature I ever saw.

Larsson - enclosed is a transcript of a stray manuscript he left behind once when he moved out of my place. Also he has had poems recently in the New Criterion and the Dial. What do you think?

I was thinking of Gertrude Stein (Leo is only a name to me). I keep running across statements that Gertrude's earliest work was fine, but don't see it; and I did like her last piece in the Dial.

Toomer did a book of stories and sketches, "Cane". Some good.

3

On reading along in your letter, I see I've considerably
overshot your instructions. Do you mind?

Re Roth - Jane Heap told me she owned the Ulysses copyright,
but didn't prosecute him because Joyce himself had infringed on it,
and she didn't want to get Joyce in trouble. Sounds very dumb to
me - that needn't have stopped her at all. The latest issue of
Roth's Two World's Monthly has a couple of extremely dirty poems in
it, and I'm looking to see it suppressed any day. If I hadn't such
a conscience, I'd use that means to go after him myself, but the
temptation is still resisted.

My time is quite free, I have lots of it, and am doing this
for what we call "fun" anyway, so I'll put as much into this as needed
and probably more. If we could print here, I'd be delighted to work
on the proofs until the thing was letter perfect. Also any cash I
lay out for circulars is my expense, to be reimbursed only if it makes
money that isn't needed for other purposes. If it should be printed
here, I assume you or someone would send cash for the job.

Can't think of else just now - above is rather dull I think
because I'm stuffed up with Christmas candy and junk. It was a great
day, with my wife screaming over immense boxes from home, and all that.

Don't forget this - if you have contents ready, and are
ready to print, write me a glittering, characteristic, attention-getting
prospectus, and I might even get it onto the news pages. You observe,
don't you, how your phrase "magnificent or unspeakable" gives all the
life to that card of mine?

Sincerely,

NEW YORK
Herald Tribune

Jan. 4

Dear Mr. Pound:

I have just seen a proof of next Sunday's "Books" (our lit. section) in which the leading article is a long review of your collected poems by F.M.Ford, under the heading "Ezra". There's a big woodcut of you by Zadig - not very good. Ford's article is high praise, with some joshing, and damned interesting. In fact, the best of the four he has contributed. As soon as I can, I'll get hold of a clipping and send it to you.

Got my copy of the poems yesterday, cut the pages today, and am settling down to go through it. It's a beautiful book.

Enclosed are two more poems, "After Snow" and "Revenant", by Samuel Heller, 1816 73d St., Brooklyn. Poor, I think.

Also a poem, "Secret Fire", by George Steele Seymour, 1217 E. 53d St., Chicago, a trifle better. He sent $1.25 for a subscription - the first cash. Have had three or four other inquiries. Also enclosing a clipping from the Toledo Blade for Dec. 30, with mention of the magazine.

In replying to all these people, I'm telling them prose is preferred at present.

Hope you've made progress in compiling the contents for No.1. When do you think it can appear?

Thursday

Dear Mr. Pound:

Glad to hear it - that it's *red*, I mean. The shipment
(only 270 after all) has landed, but the shipping agents told me
over the phone today that it would probably take about two weeks
to get it through the Customs. What do you think of that? I
never heard of anything so rotten. I'm a thoroughgoing free trade
Democrat from this moment forth. What the hell is a government
for, if not for the convenience of its citizens?

The copyright office has been equally slow and disobliging -
doesn't answer letters for weeks, raises all sorts of trivial
objections, etc., etc. - and the broadside isn't copyrighted yet!
Don't blame Ezra for living abroad.