WALTER F. WHITE
SIXTY-NINE FIFTH AVENUE
NEW YORK CITY

August 7, 1924

My dear Mr. Van Vechten:

I can remember no occasion in all my
life when I had a more pleasant surprise than
when I was talking with Mr. Oppenheim at Knopf's
a few days ago and he showed me the too laudatory
paragraph which you have done on "The Fire in the
Flint."

Neither my best friends nor my worst
enemies have ever accused me of too great modesty,
but I must say that I had no idea that you would
be so interested in a novel such as mine. The
fact that you feel as you do about it has made me
happy indeed. You saw exactly what I was driving
at. It is my first novel - in fact, my first
attempt to write a novel. Knowing that I had no
particular distinction of style, I resolved to tell
as simply and as honestly as I could the story as I
felt it, achieving as much as my feelings would
permit maximum objectivity.

From the paragraph which you did I
realize that you more than any other person who has
yet read the novel sensed what I was attempting.
All I can say is that I thank you, hoping that from
that simple statement you will realize how much I
appreciate what you have done. If the novel achieves
the success for which I am hoping it will be in no
small measure due to your own generosity.

Mr. Carl Van Vechten
C/O Mr. George S. Oppenheimer
Alfred Knopf, Inc.
730 Fifth Avenue
New York City