I’m surprised to know that Goyen is going to Chicago. I’ve just had a letter from him saying he was off for Houston, and returning to NY late in the fall. He wrote very tenderly about you, said you were the sweetest, most sensitive person he’d met in a moon’s age. I second that. But do you mean he has a lover in Chicago? And so attractive?
Have sent you-all a copy of Local Color. Haven’t seen it myself, and don’t know when I will, as they undoubtedly sent it regular mail. So let me know how it looks.
Oh it is ironic about Phoebe. But I think it might turn out for the best. Standing on her feet in Bloomingdales might finally plant them in terra firma. Would love to see her new stories. She writes that you have done two Video scripts. What about it?
No, I’m not making the grand tour en famille. They are coming here for a few days, then Jack and I are going to Venice around the 15th, planning to be back here the 1st of Oct. Wish you all would lay hold to some cash and come here for Christmas etc. It would cost you nothing except the passage; you would adore the house, and could stay as long as you liked.
Masses of love for that sweet Harold. Jack and Kelly send love. And did you see that shooting comet last night? That was a kiss I was blowing to you
T
[Collection New York Public Library]
TO ROBERT LINSCOTT
Venice
Sept 21 1950
Dear Bob—
Wonderful wonderful wonderful: to have your lovely cable and to know you liked the chapters. I hope you are going to like the book. I suspect it will be a month or two before I send any more. Marian wants to sell the 1st chapter for a story—but I have written saying no; because I don’t [want] anyone (outside the family) to read any of it until the day it is published. So please don’t show it to anyone, will you, Bob? Had such a sweet cable from Bennett; he was really nice to send it.
Monday night had a glass of champagne to celebrate Local Color. It really is a beautiful book, couldn’t have turned out better.
Do ignore Cyrilly Abels.123 Poor thing, she is simply hysterical with inferiority feelings. Lord knows, she has good reason to feel inferior. Leave me to settle her hash. I will so much enjoy the job.
It’s raining here, as though Venice were not watery enough. Am going back to Sicily in five or six days—and the monastic life. I do feel like such a monk living on that mountain.
Bought here a copy of the New Yorker with the Hemingway profile.124 Thought it very entertaining—goodness, he’s a fool.
Miss you. Write me. Love
T
[Collection Columbia University Library]
TO BENNETT CERF125
Venice
Sept 22 1950
Dear Bennett—
It was wonderful having your cable; you were sweet to send it, and it made me so happy to know you and Phyllis liked the chapters. I hope you will like the book. Am going back to the wilds of Sicily next Wednesday, for I’m very anxious to get on with it (the book). Meanwhile, am having a lovely holiday here in Venice: so beautiful this time of year. Don’t you think Local Color turned out well? It is marvelous looking, I want to thank all of you. You are so good to me: I hope you know how much I appreciate it. Have not seen Herbert [Wise] after all; I wanted them to come and visit in Sicily, but guess they just couldn’t face the primitiveness of that.126 You and Phyllis would love it. I would almost pay your passage if you would spend your winter holiday there (have a wonderful house, and the climate is better than California or Florida). I am practically the Grand Seigneur of Sicily: there was a contest for the schoolchildren of the island to write an essay on the classic Greek theatre—and, though I protested that I couldn’t read Italian, I was supposed to be the Judge; the house is filled with manuscripts, the authorities are awaiting a decision, and I am very nearly in tears. Phyllis wrote me about your house (or houses) in P-Town.127 It must have been fun. Hope you have a good winter, interrupted by a trip to Sicily
Love
T
[Collection Columbia University Library]
TO PHYLLIS CERF
[Venice]
[22 September 1950]
Phyllis dear—
Have got the gondola shoes, and am sending them by regular mail. My mother, who was just here, was supposed to take them but forgot. However, I did send you a little trinket by her. She will leave it by Random House when she gets back to N.Y. next month. I loved your letter, and wished I could have helped with the painting of those shacks. I don’t think I will be in N.Y. this winter (though one can never tell); but I do think of you and miss you—how I would love a long four hour lunch. Write me, honey. Love et mille tenderesse [sic]
T
[Collection Columbia University Library]
TO ANDREW LYNDON
Taormina,
Oct 1st, 1950
Darling—
Had your sweet letter in Venice, and today, arriving back here, found another letter mailed the 10th of Sept. Of course your news saddens and upsets me; I can’t believe it is turning out this way: have brooded over it a good deal, and did, despite your admonishment, write to Harold—not to criticize him (or you), but merely to say that I thought it a great waste.128 Well. Allons.
Honey, there is this: we would like you to have the apartment on 76th Street. You can move in right away. The rent is $16. a month. Call Jack’s brother, either at the apt. (Re 7-1085) or at The Wall Street Journal, where he works, and tell him he is to give you the key. Of course we don’t know when we will be coming back, but I don’t think it will be soon. I offered the apartment to Newton, but I do not now think it would be a good place for him to stay, not in his present frame of mind. He would not like it really, and should be in a place with more obvious comforts. Maybe you could help him. At any rate, let me know at once if you are going to take the apt.
So happy you thought Local Color came out well. Have not seen or heard of a single review: it might as well have been dropped in the ocean. Has Random advertised it at all? Delighted to hear about Doris [Lilly] selling the book, and only hope Phoebe can pull herself together and finish it.129 And I do hope something good comes of the television scripts. I should think “Petrified Man” would be wonderful.130
We had a wonderful whirl in Venice and Rome, many people, much to drink, and have returned to the quiet of Taormina quite pale and exhausted. I’m glad to be back in Taormina, at the same time wish more than a little we were in New York, where there is you and Phoebe and all the things that are really important to me. But I must take my courage in hand and stick it out with the book. Oh it does frighten me, though; this lonely mountain, the wind, and winter coming on.
Do you expect to see much of Harold? What precisely are your relations?
If Goyen is back in town give him my love. I thought the reviews of his book, at least the few I saw, were incredibly dumb and dreary.
I love you, darling; you are my most precious friend, you are always near to me. Many kisses
T
[Collection New York Public Library]
TO GRAY FOY AND LEO LERMAN
Fontana Vecchia
Taormina, Sicily
Oct. 5, 1950
Gray, Leo, dear ones—
I loved having both your letters, and am answering them together because, Lord knows, I ain’t got much news: no sense repeating it twice.
We spent the month of September in Venice, and it was beautiful, exactly what I wanted after a long summer’s labor: oh am working hard, and do so hope you will think well of what I am doing. I was so happy, Gray, that you liked The House of Flowers. Well, one night (in Venice) who should come sauntering up but Howard Rothchild [Rothschild]—never an attractive vision, but what has happened to him: his mouth, and general manner, is more bitter-persimmon than ever. But I only said hello, and went my way. Another funny thing: one night in Harry’s bar, which is always too crowded to know whether your hand is your own, a tall man leaned over and greeted me most effusively. I couldn’t think who he was, except he was English and asked me “how is Leo?” Suddenly I thought—it must be Henry Green131 (who I met once at 1453).132 So I introduced him to the people we were with as Henry Green. He asked me to have lunch the next day. I was surprised to find him accompanied at lunch by an obvious piece of Limehouse trade: I’d not thought H. Green “so”. I started to talk about books etc, but Mr. Green didn’t seem to have heard of anyone I mentioned. Terribly
