July 13, 1937

My dear Professor Whitehead:

Ralph Barton Perry, Jr. wrote to me that he had communicat-
ed with you in reference to a quarterly magazine that I am
hoping to issue within the near future. The quarterly will
be devoted to literature, aesthetics, philosophy, and ideas
in general relating to problems of life in their broadest
aspect. I am planning to bring out as one of the early
issues a number devoted to the fundamental problems of
realism. I can imagine that you have many requests for
your work. I also realize that it is your habit to con-
tribute to the *Atlantic Monthly*. However, I am so eager
to present in special issues certain of the outstanding
creative work of our time in such a way that each number
will give a young student or a young person emerging from
the strictly academic word to the actual world clear
pictures of the various fields where positive thinking has
been done, and feeling, that I trust that the publication
that I have in mind will not repeat the more or less hap-
hazzard presentation of articles that occurs in the al-
ready existing publications of a general nature. Nor will
the publication be one which will be valuable merely for
those who are already schooled in one specific subject
without a sense of relationship of that subject to re-
lated problems of literature, art, etc. that must pre-
occupy man in his most aware moments.

The small pamphlet that you wrote called *Nature and Life*
that is published by the University of Chicago Press is
such a magnificent statement, and I should so much like
to have a presentation of your position in some form re-
lated to the form which that particular essay took. I do
not of course mean that it would be in any way possible
to repeat what one had already evolved, but I mean that
something by you written in that same spirit that could
be included in the issue that I have in mind would to me
be an extraordinarily valuable contribution. I do not
know what you would feel would be fair payment for work
of yours. The quarterly that I have in mind will not be
a commercial venture, and will naturally be limited as to
funds. But if you would be willing to contribute such as
I suggest I should like to know what you think would be
fair payment for it. For the particular issue that I have
in mind that will try to clarify the position of philosophic
realism I feel that five thousand words would perhaps have
to be the maximum length because of space, considerations.
However, if there is some other essay that you may have
that you would prefer to contribute, rather than contribute
a special essay to this number any length up to about ten
thousand words would be possible. I realize that without

knowing anything about me save what Perry may have told
you, it may be difficult to decide whether you would care
to contribute to such a magazine as I have in mind. If
it would be possible to speak to you, that is to have a
short discussion of what it is that I want to do, or to
have any advice or suggestions that you might care to
make about such an issue or about presentation of those
ideas which you made so magnificently lucid I should be
most happy to come up to Boston during the summer to see
you. I am at Woods Hole, Massachusetts, for the summer.
I was going to get in touch with the Samuel Morisons
who are friends of mine to find out where you might be
when I received Perry's letter telling me that he had
written to you about the magazine, and so I do not know
where you may actually be. I would appreciate hearing
from you at any rate even if it would be impossible to
speak with you.

It seems such a pity that the John Deweys are so much
heard and that there is no presentation of such ideas
as yours in relationship to the problems of the arts in
general. There has been such confusion about making
logical problems subjective and aesthetic problems into
matters of opinion. But there is so much to say on this
whole subject.

If there is anything further that you might wish to ask
about the nature of the issue devoted to realism, or about
anything else in connection with the magazine or the plans
for it I should be glad to answer it. With deep respect,
I am

Sincerely yours,