Enjoyed reading her one-act play and her sonnets, but doesn't really like poems about artistic endeavor. "Rain, Rain!" and "Amen" are very good. Was in New York in October working on an article on the play openings. W. S. C. [Stout #247]
Swedish cousin has died in Paris. Spent a few days in Washington with her cousin's husband after he returned bringing the body. Is settling back into the apartment. Did about 28,000 words on new novel while in Pittsburgh. Has she seen the article about singers in the December McClure's? Fremstad likes it. Has been invited to Boston to visit Mrs. Fields, but can't go until after Christmas. Wishes she [ Sergeant ] were there to go to the ballet tonight. P.S.: Mrs. Fields's primness about a nude figure on the magazine cover is funny. W. S. C. [Stout #270]
Glad to accept contract for Continental rights of the next book. Will certainly accept reduced royalties on O Pioneers! in a soldiers' edition. Century will start "Office Wives" series in January and wants the book rights. Trusts Houghton Mifflin will not mind. Wants to discuss the physical design of the novel when he comes to town. Will invite Benda to dinner and ask him about doing head and tail pieces. Otherwise, would prefer no illustrations. Has tried drawing her own. Willa Cather [Stout #394]
Shocked by the news of her accident. Must have been very painful and the explosion shocking. Is seeing a lot of returning soldiers and having some to her apartment for dinner. Ours are nicer than other countries' soldiers. So glad she likes Ántonia. Her own feelings about it have vacillated. Terrible how many American soldiers died in training camps [in influenza epidemic]. Do come home to recover, then go back to France to get back to work. What a strange world!—with Germany expecting relief first. Willa S. C. [Stout #443]
Thanks for his letter [probably long letter dated May 23, 1919, trying to persuade her Houghton Mifflin did care about her books]. Now understands the proof charges and is content to pay half, but it seems that not much would change in the future. Who is doing the Swedish translation of O Pioneers!? Has been spending a lot of time with returning soldiers from Nebraska. Will not show "Claude" to anyone until fall. W. S. C. [Stout #464]
A huge procession of war orphans marched in a parade today to celebrate America. The stars and stripes flying above public buildings. The French like American soldiers, but not Wilson. Hopes to go to Cantigny next week, though trains still disrupted. Feeling good after the voyage. Almost dreads trip to Naples, with travel so difficult now. Willa [Stout #510]
Yes, the story Dorothy sent about the university roughneck has the same idea as her book. Maybe future readers will think it is more true than Three Soldiers [Dos Passos] . Knopf hopes to see Dorothy in June. Glad Claude can help her understand how she was feeling in that long-past time. Will finish page proofs soon, but doesn't know if she can ever leave this book behind her. Willa [Stout #595]
Sorry to have missed her. Wish she had stayed at the Grosvenor while she was in town. Hand out of splints but not useful yet. Enjoyed Four Saints [in Three Acts; New York premiere on February 20, 1934]. Willa [Stout #1224]
Has also been in the hospital recently, having her gall bladder removed. Wishes the surgeon hadn't insisted on Presbyterian Hospital. Appreciates his sending her the Nolans' letter. Glad to hear Robert located a church and served mass. Isn't a Catholic, but believes spirituality is helpful. Believes the anthology for soldiers should have lively material such as they liked reading themselves when they were eighteen or nineteen. Sarah Orne Jewett too quiet and subtle. Young people want to read something that seems like real life to them. Aren't interested in style and form. Hard to think of what would be good. Classic American literature too far removed from present-day experience, and new books often too preoccupied with social problems. They might like some of the early Robert Frost or even some of Longfellow's poems. Perhaps simply an edition of Huckleberry Finn would be best—the most thoroughly American book ever written. Glad he likes Sapphira and the Slave Girl, and particularly glad he liked the epilogue, which retells one of her most important actual memories. Still vividly remembers the moment when Nancy entered the room where her mother and Grandmother Boak and she were waiting, and remembers the afternoons she spent in the kitchen with Nancy, her mother, and Grandmother Boak. [Note: No mention of Cather's mother.] Willa Cather [Stout #1600]
Taking time out from responding to soldiers' letters to indulge in the pleasure of writing to her and Irene. My Ántonia is twenty-five years old now. It did not sell many copies at first but kept growing and steadily sells four to six thousand a year (though not this past year). Archbishop sells more, but its special appeal to Catholics inflates the market. Moviemakers keep wanting Ántonia, but won't sell it. Had to fight Alexander Woollcott when he wanted to put it into an anthology. Allowed the Readers' Union in England, which serves veterans of the First World War who missed out on higher education, to put out a paperback edition of 20,000 a few years ago, now out of print. Doesn't mean to brag, but feels proud and happy that people still care about the book. Hopes it is a satisfaction for her as well. Enclosing a letter from a Lt. Harrison Blaine that she would like to have back. Willie [Stout #1633]
