35 Woolfrey Ave,

Toronto, Dec. 24

Dear Mr. Pound:

I hope you got my cable advising you not to
use the story called "Predicament".

Here is the explanation. My agent in New
York, Brandt and Brandt, had sent my stories to Scribners who
had asked to see them. Predicament, of course, was one of the
stories. I had heard that your magazine, "The Exile" was
discontinuing because of trouble with the customs or
something to that effect. I wrote Robert McAlmon but he said he
had heard no word from you. When I got your letter Scribners
had my stories and had decided to take "Predicament" for
the magazine with some others. I had nothing else to send
you because my stories were all down in New York, and though
I wrote to them, I didn't get any back from some time. I
explained to Brandt's that you were using the story "Ancient
Lineage" so they sent it back, and I'm sending you a story,
a short one so you can use it with the other if you want to,
called, "The Life of Sadie Hall," which is an experiment
after reading the American Tragedy. McAlmon liked this story
and I like it myself, though I can see that it's not suitable
for commercial magazines. It's a contrast to "Ancient Lineage"
though. If you don't like it I'll write something else for you.

35 Woolfrey Ave.,
Toronto, March 8.

Dear Mr. Pound,

Thanks for your letter. The fact that I see to have found a haven in Scribner's, as yet, hasn't made life all beer and snittles. They are doing better for me than they were when I last wrote you. They bought another story for the magazine, and the coming Fall, they are bringing out a book of my short stories, and then later on after that, a novel.

Certainly I agree that McAlmon would be a better test of what they would stand. The curious thing is that when I was down there I talked to Scribners about McAlmon, found they had been very interested in a book of his "Transcontinental" and had been decidedly impressed by him personally. I'm sure that he has a better chance at their venerable house than at some of the new so called modern houses that must be assured of selling at least ten thousand copies of anything they touch. At Boni and

Liveright, I had some quaint experiences, and am still looking for a guy named Donald Friede (well meaning I suppose, but terribly dumb). But I think that McA has been very unlucy in that he hasn't got much log rolling from writers who are successful enough to impress publishers (commercially, I mean). I only wish I could in the next year or so get a strong enough foothold so that I could get an article on him into some popular journal. He has always been so generous and willing to help others that it is a damn shame he doesn't get some of it himself when he so much deserves it. He doesn't need sympathy, but his value has to be drummed up. to the attention of some people. I was glad you used that Account of his in Exile No 2.

For the Love of Mike don't stop the Exile.
I was out at Dr. Williams place in New Jersey and he had just heard from you and you were all for going ahead. He had an itch to start something himself sometime ago. Just one number of something or other. Here's how it is with me. I've no place to sell stories in America outside of Scribners and the Caravan. Brandts cant well my stories at all. Later on they may be able to. Scribners came after the other stories. And I'd like to go on writing stories. And I'd like to get them printed. Where? Then also about one half the stories I write don't seem to be suited to magazine publication, though all right for a book. If the Dial, I think it is, with a few exceptions, lousy. They have a friendly feeling for you how, and gave you their prize, but hell, wasn't it a bit overdue? Bill Williams thinks it entirely emasculated. They gave you their prize and want to get patted on the back, because they never make mistakes, but is there any reason why they should, they wait long enough. I'm very glad you took the prize, and I'm glad to see the Cantos being published there. Please go on with The Exile, though, and I only wish I could be of some assistance.

Scribner's are calling my book of short stories, "American Made", because the variety seems to come out of the soil, they say. Do you like it?