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THE COLLECTED LETTERS OF Robinson Jeffers WITH SELECTED LETTERS OF Una Jeffers

STANFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

Contents

Illustrations...............................ixPreface.....................................xiiiEditorial Devices...........................xxiAbbreviations...............................xxiiiLETTERS 1931–1939.....................1Index.......................................1061

Chapter One

UJ to Albert Bender

[January 1931] Saturday

My dearest Albert—

You must forgive my being late with good wishes and thank yous when I tell you that a cut finger prevented my writing {at} all during the holiday season. —and will you now accept our love and heartiest good wishes for your health & happiness during 1931, and our thanks for your too generous gifts. Little boys—big boys I should say put their generous check into their bank [begin strikethrough]b[end strikethrough]account to await some very special need. They have their own book and seem very sensible about finances, which pleases me in this day when children spend far too easily! —Our box was filled with lovely trinkets you thoughtful person!

As for ourselves we have been desperately busy carpenters have been here to put roof on dining-room & cupboards inside. Robin has worked very hard afternoons to finish the stone work. The great chimney being complicated by a dovecot built into one side!

A cabinet maker who designed and built Mr. Mack's house {& furnishings} (you must know him—?) has made for us a beautiful old English table & benches—

Robin writes all the morning as usual. He will have two books out this next year—a tiny thin (very de luxe) one by Random House long promised to them with Liverights permission—and a regular sized one by Liveright. We expect Liveright to spend a weekend during the latter part of January. —Why don't you come down over a weekend or a Feb. holiday? We can put you up here at Tor House.— So many amusing people have come & gone. I'd like to have a regular "tell" with you about them. —I have several times wished very much to be in the city. I wanted to see Rivera's exhibit. —I shall see your things sometime! When boys go to college there will be many jaunts for us to the city I trust. Dear Albert we send you our warm love. Una & all at Tor House.

RJ to Harriet Monroe

Tor House, Carmel, California. January 6, 1931.

Dear Miss Monroe:

Thank you for sending me the anniversary number of Poetry, we enjoyed reading it, and congratulate you. I'm sorry not to have spoken sooner, but either I am busy or lazy—or both—my letters never get written. I'm sorry too not to be able to offer any poems; almost the only ones I have that [begin strikethrough]would[end strikethrough] {might} be suitable are ear-marked for a little book that I promised random House almost two years ago, and am trying to make up my mind to send in. they want first publication.

It seemed a pity to change Poetry's cover-design, but good luck to it all the same.

Sincerely yours, Robinson Jeffers.

UJ to Blanche Matthias

January 19. 1931.

My dearest Blanche—

I wish you could see your Unicorn hunt— It is framed and hung in the new dining room—there is only one other picture there—an etching Stan Wood did of Tor House. You always send us the most exquisite things—the right thing—who else finds them but you!— Now comes this beautiful still face—whose {is} it Blanche?

I wish very much to have you see the dining room, all done now except the red brick floor to be laid later. {At present its just rough cement floor, rather nice too} A clever cabinet maker made us a great oak table 7½ ft long thick planks old English, and a settle and a bench of the same design.— In most of the room the great stones show but there are two great cupboards— one a clothes-press, the other for dishes in the latter your Jugtown pottery. —A loft like a minstrel's gallery at one end—in it a day bed, the great spinning wheel my grandmother brought from Ireland & the victrola—which the boys eagerly work— It sounds beautifully there.—

On the outside door is a tirling pin—do you remember mention of them in the old ballads? —Use instead of a knocker.— We copied this from John Knox's house in edinburgh. Come and tirl it.

Mabel & Tony are down in old Mexico. Yesterday the boys got a great basket full of brilliantly colored things from her. I think she bought out a whole bazaar of little animals and so on. We expect them in Carmel for a month this spring. She wants us to go back to Taos with her but we cannot leave. She is an amazingly interesting woman.

Have you met anywhere a nice {Austrian} Count Ledebur— He came the other day with Iris Tree—(Beerbohm tree's daughter)

Caroline Blackman married Orrick Johns and produced at 42 her first baby with great ease and celerity. —Caroline is greatly changed, sweet and natural and devoted to the baby and has quite laid aside that old sour morbidity.

Mr. Blackman died Friday, —heart attack.

My friends the Steffenses are in Croton for the winter.

Boys are deep deep in the thrilling book of Byrd you sent. They fear you cant be seeing many animals in New York—but hope you can tell them of some in Indochina.— Did you see Loti's curtains of bats in the corridors at Ang-Kor?

I must tell you what utter joy I take from the sandalwood oil you sent from Egypt. —One drop gives the essence of all sandalwood delight for days!

Tell me you are having great sights and experiences— are there wonderful pictures & plays? How are you— and do you see Alice— and how does Russell employ his days— Is New York active enough for him?

Warm love from all your friends at Tor House

Your devoted Una.

I think robin will have two books out this year—but never know until they are in the press— but it is likely a slender de luxe one long promised to Random House and a Liveright one.

UJ to Bennett Cerf

January 20. 1931.

Dear Mr. Cerf:

I will mail you tomorrow a group of short poems my husband wrote in Ireland & England. He thinks they may serve for the little volume you proposed. Let us know what you think

My heart leaps to think of owning a random House "Aphrodite in Aulis"!—. I hope you will not forget to send me a copy as you suggested.

Since our return from Ireland we have been very busy with work about our place— a five weeks motor trip down to Taos, New Mexico—guests of Mabel Dodge Luhan. —Robin is writing busily and there are always interesting people— A. E. was in...