THIS SIDE OF CARD IS FOR ADDRESS

Robert Penn Warren, Esq.
The Southern Review
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge
Louisiana

1941

use of the theater-arts synthesis. Well, I hope you see my point. As ever, Sherman.

Dear Red:

Just in case you were interested in my proposed group review on theater directions, I have found two other books published during the summer which would fit in: R.E. Jones The Dramatic Imagination, and a book called Choreographic Music, by one Arvey. My indication on "slant" must have been a little sketchy, since I wrote you all in one burst of enthusiasm. The opera, ballet and music books seem to me to fit in, since they show what happened to the other two (with poetry) of Aristotle's three arts which "imitate through rhythm". Since the Mystery Plays, the three went further and further apart, till Yeats, Cocteau, etc. began to seek again a synthesis. In this search, I believe, it has once again been found that we must have a subject in some sense "religious" to properly merit the

515 East College St.³
Thursday

515 East College Street
Iowa City
Sunday

Dear Red:

Hello. And how was your summer? I have heard from various sources
various accounts of the Mehican jaunt, and it sounds eventful, to
say the least. I hope Cianina (sp.?) is well and liking being
back in the bayous. Tell her we all miss her very much (though we
did have a game of murder in my living room last Sunday night, it
didn't seem quite the same.) And neither of our new marrieds- the
Brantley's or the A. Warren's - seem to me quite properly launched
somehow without an official R. P. Warren cocktail party broken over
their bows. (A rich ambiguous metaphor there.) I, by the way, never
did get to New York this summer for long enough to take advantage
of your introduction to Mr. Donahue. May I take a raincheck ?

Mr. Warren, I now address you in your capacity as editor of
The Southern Review. I yearn very much to write a piece for you in
general. I yearn very much to write a piece for you in particular.
"Drama in Print: Fall 1941". I don't know whether we ever talked
enough consecutively for it to become clear that with the growth of
the new theater of verse and dance - Eliot, Fergusson, Cocteau, Yeats-
lies my deepest concern and personal writing ambitions. Within the
last year I have done three articles for the Nation on dance intep-
which I have worked various of my critical beliefs. I am doing a very
short review of the new photography book on Graham (Martha) now for
the New Republic. In November 1938 I tried something on Fergusson's
Electra. I am at present trying to bring my thoughts together in a
larger way in a book, The Renewal of Our Theater, which I am begin-
ning under Austin.

The fall publishers' lists contain the following books which look to me like a good skeleton for a group review:

The Carolina Folk Plays
Candle in the Wind
Five Plays of Lorca
Invitation to Dance
Appreciation of Ballet
The Opera 1600-1941
New Radio Plays
Poetic Drama
Writers' Radio Theater
Martha Graham

ed. by Koch
M. Anderson
Lorca
Walter Terry
Irving Deakin
Brockway & Weinberg
Arch Obeler
ed. A. Kreymborg
Holt
Dodd Mead
Scribner's
Barnes
Barnes
Simon & Shuster
Random House
Modern Age
Harpers
Duell, Sloan & P.

I shall be getting some of these books in the natural course of things. I am sure all could be gotten, if they were not the kind you ordinarily receive. I believe I could do a piece, touching as this list does on music, ballet, modern dance, opera, verse drama, that would be perhaps throw a new shift of light and emphasis on the present situation, perhaps a helpfully clarifying one. Schwartz's *Shenandoah* will be a New Directions pamphlet soon, and might also go in. It is further possible, and I could check with Emily Sweetser to find out, that this year's *New Directions* will contain some verse play. I did so much regret never having the opportunity of seeing your's, of which Emily gave me some idea. Might I sometime?

Well, that's the idea. I'll be hoping to hear from you soon about it, and I hope you like it.

Ever sincerely,

February 22

Dear Red:

Your letter was most welcome. I guess I hadn't written because I
didn't want to hear the expected answer. I am very very glad that
you feel you still will have a place for the drama review. And of
course the reduced word-rate makes no difference to me. I am some-
what behind on schedule for finishing the piece. Do you suppose you
could drop me a card when you get this and set some date-line, and
also tell me if you are still interested in the same 5000 length?
I will comply with both limitations.

Probably Fred or Shirley or Someone has already told you very
real sorrow and indignation that we all felt hereabouts when the
news of your discontinuance came after Christmas. It seems to me like
part of the whole sickening phoney red-white-and-blue sort of thing
we shall see increasing from now on till the end of the year. Really
all most people are waiting for is some such excuse to put the knives
where they always wanted to. You would have been touched to see us
all grouped beerily around a table in one of the local ghastly tav-
erns, declaiming and decrying the write-up in TIME.

My summer plans are still up in the air, depending on where I am
able to get placed for next year. I'm doing full-time teaching here
this term. I do hope I shall be able to see you and Cianina before
I leave. This brings you both my affectionate best.

Hello to Frances Stuart.

F. S. CROFTS & CO., Publishers

ONE-HUNDRED-ONE FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK, N. Y.

May 16, 1942.

Professor Cleanth Brooks, Jr.,
Louisiana State University,
University, Louisiana.

Dear Cleanth:

I understood that Red would be in Princeton this week, and have been looking forward to a visit from him. In the event that I do not see him, when he is North, I am writing you with the hope that you will let me hear from you promptly. In my last letter I reminded you that the Melville novelette did not appear in the table of contents, and I could not identify the other long story of the same type which you said you planned to use.

Then, I must tell you that I am still debating the advisability of announcing your book for late summer publication. The first reason is that if we announce it, and do not have it ready, we will be severely criticized. More important, however, is the matter of announcing a book containing copyright material, the rights to which we have not definitely received. In other words, you may have letters for most of the copyright stories, quoting a fee for their use, but leaving open final decision as to whether they would be included. If we list any such stories, the publishers of them may claim that the matter is not closed, and because we have announced the story under those conditions, they may refuse to let you have it. Because of my uncertainty I have held up the announcement until Wilber returned this morning. He feels as I do that it would be questionable to make the announcement in advance of definite arrangements, and he also points out the fact that we cannot publish this book before the end of August.

This summer there will be more instructors in residence than ever before, due to the three year courses which are being introduced. Do you not think that we should wait until you have definitely finished your manuscript, and then send out the announcement to those who are teaching in the summer? By that time we can give them a definite date of publication, which is practically impossible at the present time.

I am sorry that you are going to lose Red. On the other hand, I think he has made a wise decision, and only hope that a similarly good offer will come your way. Incidentally, is the rumor correct that you may continue the Southern Review?

fsc m