t
And love to darling Richard [Hunter]: a bushel, a peck, a hug around the neck.
I got this envelope & stamp from Newton.
[Collection Columbia University Library]
TO HOWARD DOUGHTY
[Yaddo]
[Saratoga Springs, N.Y.]
[June or July 1946]
Howard, dear,
Your letter! And it was wonderful, and I thank you. It’s a good thing you got the haircut in Albany, not here, for I liked it the way it was.
There have been no eruptions around here to speak of. Yesterday EA [Elizabeth Ames] had a cocktail party, and everyone, including EA, got mighty high, and Esther [Rolick],28 careening homeward, spotted George Vincent, and screamed: “I saw you last summer naked to the waist, and man that was something!” All of which gave our guests of honor (the Slades, the Willisons et al) quite a turn. Leo went to have lunch with EA, begging me to fetch him afterward (snakes, you know), so when I arrived I found him sitting in the grass with EA bending above him reading maledictions from the bible, and Leo protesting weakly, “But don’t you believe in ultimate good.” Those two, however, seem to be getting on better. Howard, I don’t think you should feel so fiercely toward her; after all, she is only a rather ignorant woman, and God knows a thing like that can be taken in one’s stride. She sent me a note today. “I have worked some magic: would you care to stay until July 30th?” I have not as yet written a reply, or made up my mind. NA [Newton Arvin] is wonderful, and I love him, but I will not write about it in this letter, for there is too much to say.
Talked with Carson on the phone yesterday. She called around five, and I was upstairs taking a bath, and went flying down in a state of fantastic disarray. She said she was going to Fire Island on Friday, and seemed fine, otherwise no news, except, of course “love to darling Howard.” I send love, too: a bushel, a peck, a hug around the neck.
t
P.S. Think of me Thursday, and wish me luck. I miss you!
[Collection Unknown]
TO LEO LERMAN
[Yaddo]
[Saratoga Springs, N.Y.]
[9 July 1946]
Leo dearest child,
At last … a letter, and just when I’d given up all hope … and such a sweet letter, too. I am so glad you liked Phoebe [Pierce], for she is a remarkable girl, and greatly gifted: at one time, you know, we were very much in love, and I still love her, though not in quite the same way, perhaps; still we have known each other so long, and been through so much together (as they say) that there will, I suppose, be always some deep connection between us no matter how hard I try to render it. And yes, George [Cole] and I are friends, good friends, I hope, and I am so ashamed not to have seen his really extraordinary qualities before; he is generous, and charming, loyal and intelligent: and heavens, what do you mean make judgements … me? No indeed, darling, anything that makes Richard [Hunter] happy, and you happy, is 100% wonderful by me, for I love and am devoted to you both, and to George, too: I know that you can give him an outlet to something he most desperately needs, and it is all so simple, and right, or at least it seems so to me.
Newton is fine, and I gave him your love, for which he thanks you, and returns the same. I love him, of course, and that too is simple and right and without complications. He is too good for me, too thoughtful, too kind: I am only glad that I am capable of appreciating him, and knowing his rarity, his delicate perfection: was there ever anyone more sensitive? In this day and age sensitivity like his is almost an anachronism. Did you ever, in that wonderland wilderness of adolesence [sic] ever, quite unexpectedly, see something, a dusk sky, a wild bird, a landscape, so exquisite terror touched you at the bone? And you are afraid, terribly afraid the smallest movement, a leaf, say, turning in the wind, will shatter all? That is, I think, the way love is, or should be: one lives in beautiful terror.
Marylou and B. [Barbara Lawrence] came, and we had an elegant time; EA [Elizabeth Ames] was marvelous to them, invited them to dinner, and gave a party at Pine Garde. Jerre [Mangione]29 had a small party for them, and I had one here in the tower, and I do think they had [a] happy refreshing time. Marylou is an angel; in her own way she is like Newton: too good to be true. George [Cole] did a marvelous new portrait of me, really miraculously good, for I am [a] hard person to draw, and Marylou is running it in the Bazaar, along with a little piece about George.
Howard [Doughty] came back yesterday. He is really a sweet wonderful person, VERY understanding, and he misses you badly: he said he just didn’t know how he was going to be able to stand it here without you. You must write him a letter, for he is the sort that never writes first. Now you really must. And I am so pleased you’re taking mother to lunch: did you? And how was it? Write all. I am working on my book, it was and is rather hard getting back into it, but everything will be allright [sic]. I miss you, darling Leo, and love you, and can’t wait to see you. Newton and I are leaving here the 25th, and going someplace for a week before I come home. All love, sweet dearest Leo
[Collection Columbia University Library]
TO MARY LOUISE ASWELL
[45 Prospect Street]
[Northampton, Mass.]
[31 July 1946]
Darling,
Your letter reached me this morning, and I am sorry you did not know where I was; really, I should have phoned you when I reached N.Y., but there was only a ½ hour before catching the train here.
Sweetheart, you should not be upset about the money—I understand perfectly, and know it was in no way your fault, and I should not have requested it in the first place, but the trip was fantastically expensive, for reasons I will numerate later, and I’ll bet I’m going to lose money on this deal, which is an irony for I never worked that arduous in my life—I nearly died of exhaustion, and had even to go to a doctor here—not complaining, though, not really, for it was curious + interesting: an experience, as they say, and I like [Henri] Cartier-Bresson extremely.30 About the change in the story.31 For you, darling, yes. He can hold his hand over the boy’s mouth. I will speak to Pearl [Kazin] about this.32
I am having a wonderful time here with Newton. He is going to give a full-sized lecture on contemporary American literature here in the fall, and that will be your article: isn’t that grand? He sends you his very best love, and I, of course, send all of mine to darling precious Mary Lou, my sweetheart. Love, too, to Pidgy pie & Dunny, and have a good time, darling, for I love all three of you so very very much.
T.
P.S. Write if you get a chance: I will be back at 1060 [Park Avenue] on Friday.
[Collection Aswell Family]
TO MARY LOUISE ASWELL
[1060 Park Avenue]
[New York]
[4 August 1946]
Dearest,
Are you having a wonderful time? And Dunny, and my best girlfriend, are they? Really, darling, I envy you mightily, for you must be near the sea, or on it, maybe, and how I long for the ocean: it has been years since I tasted salt water, or got knocked down by a wave.33
Something awful is the matter with the spacer on this damned machine! Bear with me.
I had a really terrible time in N.O.; I’ve never worked so hard in my life, and hope never to again, and I can see right now that I’m going to lose money on this little deal, for it was fabulously expensive … for reasons I will not go into here. The Bazaar is behaving badly, but please don’t let this trouble you, for it is outside your province, and perhaps it will all work out when I go and talk to them which I haven’t done as yet … however, they sent me a bill for my fare down there … can you beat that?34 The only thing is Pearl tells me they now want to run the piece on N.O. in October and keep my story till God knows when.35 Well, of course that makes me frantic, for one of the reasons I stopped working on my book to write it, in fact the main one, was because [I] have not published a story in almost a year, and it is very important that I should, and really, they just must must must run that story in October. Anyway I have not given them the N.O. piece yet, and I think I will just hang on to it until it is too late for them etc., and I’m not going to give it to them at all unless they give me my money. But as I said do not worry your sweet precious head about any of this trivia, for it is no affair of yours. Pearl is a darling. You are certainly lucky to have her,
