85, Boulevard St-Michel, Paris (V)

21st April 1926

Dear Miss Moore:

The Valéry muddle is a nuisance. He is at present away from Paris, and very fatigued after a series of lectures in different parts of Europe, else I should not hesitate to ask further details of him. So far as I am aware, what happened was this: Harcourt Brace secured the rights to Variété. When the contract was drafted by the NRF, Valéry asked me to undertake the translation, I agreed, and assumed that Harcourt Brace would concur. Mr Harrison Smith now writes me that 'if they had known in time' etc, etc ... and that they had, long before signature of the contract, engaged Malcolm Cowley for the job. It appears that Cowley's commendable enthusiasm led them to take the book. The point at issue appears to be whether your rights ante-date Harcourt's or not. If they do - the Harcourt-NRF contract could only have been signed in New York at about the time you received my note, and in Paris at about the time I sent it - then, I conceive, you owe them no acknowledgment. If they do not, you probably owe them an editorial note. Doubtless this matter has already been cleared up as I write.

Concerning Valéry's position, I know that he has not the habit of transferring absolute rights to any review. (Of course, I am ignorant of what passed between you about the NOTE.) For example, when I secured the Lettre d'Emilie Teste for The Dial, it was expressly agreed that my translation would be published within a certain number of months, and that Valéry retain the right to dispose of the same (French) text to an English review, or to an English or American book publisher, after publication in The Dial. Such is his habitual procedure.

Meanwhile it would seem that with Valéry's encourage-
ment I had placed myself in a false position all around.
I apologize for my innocent interposition in an affair
which turns out to be none of my concern. Should you
wish, in future, to publish anything else of Valéry's -
for example, his most beautiful prose piece, Eupalinos -
I shall be very happy to see that you secure well-defined
rights, whoever makes the translation.

I observe that translations of works by the younger
Frenchmen are being published in increasing numbers in
America. You have already versions of Morand, Giraudoux,

Cocteau, Cendrars, Delteil, and others, and I learn that
The Dial Press is to do Montherlant's Bestsaires. Would
you be interested to print a series of short articles -
not over 3,000 words, say - on these and other young
Frenchmen who have already a considerable body of work
behind them? They could be treated singly, or grouped
(perhaps somewhat arbitrarily) in a series of essays on
'tendencies.' For example, Drieu la Rochelle and a few
others illustrate the post-war lassitude and restlessness
of their generation; Martin du Gard, Arland, and others
are preoccupied with the problems of adolescence (under
the influence of Gide); the surrealistes are all the
victims of Freud and Lautrémont and Communist doctrine;
a Catholic group, well-knit and strong in talent, plays
a significant part in contemporary literary life; it is
strongly allied to certain equally able followers of
Maurras who are royalists and Aristotelians - Catholics
as it were in all but faith and name; then there are
those one might call the humanitarians, stemming from
Charles-Louis Philippe on the one hand and Rolland on
the other; the Jews might be collected, although they
have no 'school'; contemporary literary criticism might
have an essay to itself; and I have not mentioned men
who might be grouped as internationalists, - Larbaud,
Morand, Cendrars, et al. I should be happy to undertake
such a series of articles if you thought they might interest
readers of The Dial.

Faithfully yours,

Lewis Galantière

Miss Marianne Moore,
Editor, The Dial,
152 W. 13th Street,
New York,

85, Boulevard Saint-Michel, Paris (V)

23 April 1926

My dear Miss Moore:

You were very kind to read René Crevel's article. The poor lad is without a sou, and it was, frankly, in the hope that he might be able to earn a little money that I sent his piece to you.

I am writing this time to say that Paul Valéry has asked me if I would be willing to translate his *Variété* for Messrs Harcourt, Brace, who, it appears, have offered to publish an English version. He informs me, at the same time, that you have agreed to publish the Leonardo Introduction and Note, that your translator has already made his version, and that there may be some difficulty about the publication of the entire book in view of the periodical rights he gave to you. He is vague about these rights, and I should like to know from you what you consider them to be. Should I be obliged to use in the book the version you print? My preference is, naturally, to make my own.

I am curious to know to whom you entrusted this magnificently difficult task.

With many thanks please believe me, my dear Miss Moore,

Miss Marianne Moore,
Editor, The Dial,
New York.

May 8, 1926

Lewis Galantiere, Esq.,
85, Boulevard Saint-Michel,
Paris, (V), France.

Dear Mr Galantiere:

We were given by Paul Valery, as we thought and I think as he thought, permission to translate his NOTE AND DICHRESSION. We are informed by Harcourt, Brace and Company, however, that the publisher of VARIETE has previously given exclusive right of translation to them and that our forthcoming translation may be published only by their permission, to be explicitly stated in an editors' note, also, that the translator is Malcolm Cowley. This last is most confusing.

Our own translation appears under the name of J. H. Lewis who had proposed to us, translating the article. In fairness to Mr Valery and I think with Mr Lewis' sanction, I might say that in the office of The Dial, substantial editorial revisions have been made.

Ordinarily for the use of a translation of ours we charge four tenths of a cent a word. We should by no means, however, ask that our translation be used by you. And under the present confusion it would seem that we have ourselves, hardly a right to our translation.

MM:GS

3

LEWIS GALANTIERE

33, RUE JEAN GOUJON
PARIS (VIII)

14th May 1926

My dear Miss Moore:

I have been asked by Jean Cocteau if I would undertake to translate his 'Lettre à Jacques Maritain' as well as Maritain's reply. Except the #Billet d'Emilie Toste,' of Paul Valéry, I have never rushed to translation anything before having assurance of its publication. The Cocteau letter is, however, so curious and in places beautiful a document, that I have made a draft translation. I shall not burden you with that, but I am sending you the original in the hope that it may interest you sufficiently to be considered for publication in the Dial. Maritain's response is in many ways of equal importance, but I presume it would not have, for an American review, the 'association' interest of Cocteau's letter, which is to my mind a psychological curio, a piece to be put into a religious wax-works.

Faithfully yours,

Glenway Wescott must have written you from Villefranche of Cocteau in Purgatory.

PRESERVATION PHOTOCOPY: ORIGINAL MATERIAL RESTRICTED

June 9, 1926.

Lewis Galantiere, Esq.,
33, rue Jean Goujon, VIII,
Paris, France.

Dear Mr Galantiere:

It is most good of you to make the suggestion you offer, respecting groups of contemporary French writers. Should you care to give us a single article of about two thousand words, upon certain writers, say three or four that seem to you particularly interesting; for instance, Valery Larbaud, Paul Morand, Blaise Cendrars, Jean Cocteau? Or might it be more agreeable to you to write upon the theory of a division into groups, of French writers? We have not heard from Mr Weacott.

We are grateful to you for having sent us the Cocteau letter, which however we are returning with the Maritain. I am sorry that it does not fit in with our plans.

The NOTE AND DIRESSION—the first half of it appeared in the June issue of The Dial, with a note of acknowledgement to Harcourt, Brace. Mr Valery had without stipulation, permitted this translation, but we thank you for offering to substantiate for us, right to the translation of other work of his.

132 West 13th St.,

New York, 24th June 1927

Dear Miss Moore:

I have finally had news this morning from
Paul Valery. He had not yet finished his discourse
when he wrote, but was due to pronounce it at the
Academy yesterday, the 23d. He is sending it along
for publication in The Dial. There are 9,000 words,
and I have authority to cut as I deem proper.

If you still wish to use it, will you not let me
know (a) whether you would consider printing it in two
instalments (provided it were divisible), and (b) if
not, how deeply I shall cut for its publication in a
single issue. There is also the matter of time: I am
snowed under this summer, with four translations (books)
on my hands for Fall publication. Could the Valery piece
possibly wait for publication in your October issue?

I am very sorry for the delay, as it is. Also, I
owe you apologies for promising and then not delivering
an article on Valery's verse. But the business of making
a living by my pen has been too much for me. I find I
don't know how to write for the magazines that pay well,
and haven't the leisure to write well for the reviews that
pay ill! And so I become a drudge and take on, in des-
operation, more and more translations that I hate to make.
It is all very complicated and unsatisfactory.

229 East 48th street
NORTHWEST 48th STREET
NEW YORK CITY

New York 4622
Vanderbilt 7837

25th A ugust 1927

Dear Miss Moore,

I am having my translation of the Valéry piece
typed. It should reach you in a few days. I imagine
that it is a thousand words or so longer than you wish,
although this is still about a quarter short of the
whole discourse. I suggest, if further cutting is
necessary, the following:

From p. 3 "I do not flatter myself . . ." to

p. 3 "By the diverse . . . "

From p. 9 "I know what has been said . . . "

to p. 10 "He was himself impossible . . . "

From p. 13 "In truth, gentlemen, I know not

. . ." to p. 14 "A book is an instrument . . ."

In addition to these cuts, various paragraphs could be
deleted here and there it absolutely essential, although
I should prefer that the maximum of 6,000 words, half-
promised to Valéry, be preserved.

As to the short essay on Valéry's poetry, I must
again beg more time. I have been separated from my
books for some months; also, I have been overwhelmed

with work delayed, long-promised, and, alas, paid
for in advance. And I do not suppose it much matters
to you when you get it, if it is eventually forth-
coming? Or were you delaying the publication of your
other Valeriana pending this translation and my un-
written pages on his poetry? In that case I should
try to write you something for the 15th, although my
situation is such that I dare make no firm promise.
Meanwhile, I hope you will find this translation
satisfactory.

17

229 East 48th street,

30 August 1927

Dear Miss Moore,

herewith the Valery script again. You will see that I
have accepted practically all your suggested changes, but
have left my language unaltered here and there. Where I did
not follow you, it was most often because of Valery's choice
of epithet, already peccular in French and therefore, to
my mind, justifiably so in translation. As you know, he
affects certain words (operation is one I remember as I write),
and certain tournures de phrase which are half seventeenth
century and half personal to him. Where I can, I respect this
originality. However, I leave you cheerfully to do with this
text as you please, and am really grateful for the changes you
made.

I'll give you 2000 to 2500 words on Valery's poetry for
September 15 and hope that they may please you. One is tempted
to quote so much that the allotted space for comment shrinks
to nothing.

19

229 east 48th street,
New York, 11 September

Dear Miss Moore,

this red ink signifies only that the black
half of my ribbon has been worn through! . . .

Herewith the notes on certain of Valery's
poems. I warned you that I should quote a great
deal; I saw no other way out if I was to 'introduce'
the poet. The alternative - to write about his ideas
and his technique - seemed to me a dull business for
your readers. Besides, aren't you having a couple of
essays on his ideas?

My contribution will perhaps take more space
than you thought of giving me. In that case, you
may cut as you please . . . if I may see the cuts.
I have worked a week over this *rien*, *paring*, *paring*.
There is so much to be said about the man!

September 15, 1927

Lewis Galantiere, Esq.,
229 East 48th Street,
New York City.

Dear Mr Galantiere:

You are indeed faithful, to
give us your article despite pressure and
other obligations. Far from being <u>rein</u> <u>men</u>
<u>itiis</u> to us <u>very much</u> and I am sure Mr Valery
will prize it also. I value your allusion
to poets of three hundred years ago, and
the quotations are resplendent.

An article of Mr Lewis's
which we expect to publish is called Note
on Paul Valery; but there can be no objection
to unanimous modesty.

Could you grant us permission
to omit the sentence, "Whether we shall have
more poems from him is questionable." If
this be a great sacrifice please restore it
when the proof reaches you.

We enclose a cheque for fifty

dollars.

220 EAST 48TH STREET
NEW YORK
VANDERBILT 7837

16th September

Dear Miss Moore,

thank you so much for your encouraging
note - and for the cheque. Of course you
may cut out the sentence, "Whether we shall"
... etc. It is doubtless gratuitous pro-
plecy. I had put it in to stress Valery's
concern with technique, but I am far from
insisting on its maintenance.

The title? "Remarks on the Poetry of
P V"? "Introduction to the Poetry of P V"?
The latter may be suitable. Isn't my piece
a sort of ABC commentary?

September 20, 1927

Dear Mr Galantiere:

We thank you for suggesting other titles for your article, but we were really not requesting a different one. I merely wished you to know before seeing it in print, that Mr Lewis's title was similar. We should like, however, as you now give it, the full name, Paul Valery.

Although as a rule we must not alter proof, we noted with great satisfaction, certain changes which you have made, in the Discourse.

MM:GS