Mille tenderesse [sic], kiddo
T
[Collection New York Public Library]
TO DONALD WINDHAM
[Postcard] Fontana Vecchia
Taormina, Sicily
Aug 3 1950
Donny lamb—
Grazia for the notebook; it is very pretty: quanto costa, prego?
Cecil arrived—lots of news. Lincoln K. [Kirstein]111 has had a nervous breakdown: ended up slapping people’s faces in London—including one old lady. Said he’d seen T.W. [Tennessee Williams] in Paris, and that T. had lost about 25 pounds and was looking very handsome: can you credit that? We had a letter from the French’s [sic] who are in Denmark and maybe are coming here.112
Got some new records; wish you were here to dance. Wish you were here period. Seems so hard to believe that it is August, and you have been gone all this time. There is going to be a beauty contest Saturday to pick Miss Taormina: if I win will send you a telegram.
When do you leave for Sirmione? I know Sandy will like it there. I hope the printing of the story went well.113 Please write a long letter: am so weary of hearing Niente at the posta. Love to Sandy et vous from Jack, Kelly
and
Me
[Collection Beinecke Library, Yale University]
TO DONALD WINDHAM
[Postcard] Fontana Vecchia
Taormina, Sicily
Aug 7 1950
Donny heart—
Sylvia Bombaro (yr. landlady’s dghtr.) won the Miss Taormina contest at Mazzaro last night: of course that didn’t do my ego any good. Am so furious, in fact, that we are planning to leave Taormina.
At least we are plotting departure. Hate to leave in a way, but suppose it is not sensible to become another Bobby Pratt-Barlow.114 So we think we will go to Spain the first of Oct. and get a house on Majorca. Does that tempt you? Anyway, we still will be in Venice in September—at least I will, though Jack may go to Spain before then. Oh I don’t know, am so mixed up. Give Sandy a hug, then give him another (from Jack): and no doubt that will land the two of you in bed. Oh the things I put on postcards!
Love
T
[Collection Beinecke Library, Yale University]
TO ROBERT LINSCOTT
Fontana Vecchia
Taormina, Sicily
Aug 19, 1950
Dear Bob—
I was good, and didn’t bother you on your vacation. But now that you are back in the old stand I shall start pestering you again. Actually, for the moment, I haven’t anything to pester you about. Except I wish you would air-mail me a copy of Local Color—or hasn’t it been printed yet? I am sending you about 15–20,000 words of The Grass Harp (2 chapters) the end of this month. It has been hell working in this incredible heat, but you will like what I have done maybe. Newton writes that he had a most enjoyable luncheon with [you]. I may go to Venice for 2 weeks around the 20th of September, but am planning to come back here to go on with my work—I suppose I should come home, what with Russians etc., but this is such a good place for work—what do you think?115 Give Goyen my best; I wish him all the luck in the world. Miss you. Best—
[Collection Columbia University Library]
TO DONALD WINDHAM
Fontana Vecchia
Taormina
Aug 20 1950
Donny dear—
Thank you for A Sicilian Marriage; as you know, Mr Sladen is my favorite author: right now I have The Gotham hunting up A Japanese Marriage.116 By mistake, you sent also Sicily, the New Winter Resort. I’m sure, however, that you will want that valuable volume returned.
Surely someone has sent you the disgraceful article by T.W. [Tennessee Williams] that appeared in the Aug 13th Sunday New York Times magazine.117 In the event they haven’t, may I tell you that there is a cartoon by Hirschfield [Hirschfeld] (that man who does the drama things)118 which is supposed to [be] a scene in a Paris cafe: you (and you don’t look remotely like yourself, dear) are seated at a table with Mr. Williams, while I (depicted as a hideous dwarf) am in the hairy embrace of Hemingway. There are others involved: Paul Bowles, Janet Flanner etc. The accompanying article, which is all about what a travelled and sophisticated gentleman T Willie is, reaches the absolute zenith of vulgarity. Here is the paragraph that mentions us: “I have not yet been to Sicily this year. Truman Capote has unfurled his Bronzini scarf above the fashionable resort of Taormina. He is supposedly in D.H. Lawrence’s old house. Also there, I am told, is Andre Gide and the young American writer, Donald Windham, whose new novel, “The Dog Star” contains the most sensitive new writing since Carson McCullers emerged ten years ago.” Of course there is a plug for your book, but in such a context: the general tone of the piece is infinitely lower—if he turns up here, I’ll Bronzini scarf him. But why would he want to write such an article?: it’s the lowest form of hack journalism. He really must have lost all his senses of value.
No news from the Taormina front—except De Bonnville skipped town owing over a 100,000 lire. Giovanni Panarello119 returned, much shocked to find you not here. I will be in Venice on the 20th of Sept. Do hope you are there. I don’t think we are going to Spain after all, and will probably return here until after Christmas. I may go to Paris for a week. Hope you have written me about Sirmione. Give Butch a hug and a kiss. Sandy, too. Love from Jack, love from
T
[Collection Beinecke Library, Yale University]
TO ROBERT LINSCOTT
Fontana Vecchia
Taormina, Sicily
Aug 22, 1950
Dear Bob—
Wonderful to have your letter; I had, just the moment before, sent you a little card. Delighted that you think Local Color turned out well; am dying to see it—though, unless one of those 3 copies is coming air-mail, I won’t until sometime in October: I think you had best send my other copies to the photographers, or at least the following—
- Karl Bissinger
c/o Flair magazine - Louis Frances
c/o Flair magazine - Alexander Lieberman
c/o Vogue magazine - Harold Holmes
919 Third Avenue
N.Y.C. - Newton Arvin
45 Prospect Street
Northampton, Mass. - Mr. and Mrs. Charles Chaplin
1685 Summit Drive
Beverly Hills, Calif. - Christopher Isherwood.
It occurred to me that maybe Isherwood would review it for the N.Y. Times. Anyone except that awful Princeton man they gave both my other books to.120
I hope Random plans to do some interesting ads for it—especially with the idea of its being a gift.
As soon as I send off these chapters of The Grass Harp, I’m going to catch my breath, then go, around Sept 15, to Venice for 2 weeks. But I think I wrote you this. Send me another of those lovely gossipy letters; it makes me feel we are having a drink together somewhere. How I should like that—both the drink and you.
Always
T
P.S. Thanks for that peculiar drawing. If there is anyone’s arm I should loathe to have around me it is Ernest Hemingways [sic].121
[Collection Columbia University Library]
TO ANDREW LYNDON
Fontana Vecchia
Taormina Sicily
[Late August or early September 1950]
Lover Lamb,
A good thing for you that I had a letter from you yesterday: it forestalled the posting of a time bomb. I don’t understand why you haven’t recvd any letters from me, certainly I’ve written them. Phoebe says she hasn’t heard from me either, but that must be because she is jumping around just two hops in front of the law.
I suppose you know that Newton has had a crackup and is in the McLean hospital, Waverly, Mass. It happened very soon after his weekend in New York … though I doubt that there is any connection. He is well enough, however, to have written me a letter. He speaks of spending the winter in New York. Poor dear, he was not ever made for this world. I have no idea what to do; or suggest. The Morton he called is, I suspect, another of those cockteasing kikes he’s so fond of; I’m afraid he’s had just too many thoughts about this one.
Yes, I’ve been snowed under by that cartoon you enclosed. 10 has really gone to pot; imagine writing a piece like that
