LETTER: ALS to "H.B." re The Professor's House.
To Herschel Brickell
the Reviewer of Cather’s
The Professor’s House
Cather, Willa. Autograph letter signed, "Willa Cather" to “Mr. ‘H.B.’” [Herschel Brickell]; October 8 [1925]; one half-leaf of stationery stamped “Shattuck Inn/At the foot of Monadnock Mountain/Open all the year/Jaffrey, N.H.”, recto only; creased. Together with original envelope and typed transcription of letter. In a specially made quarter-morocco slipcase.
Brickell wrote a column, “Books on Our Table,” for the New York Evening Post – in which his review of Cather’s book was published – and was a general editor of Henry Holt and Company publishing house. He also worked as the literary editor of the Post and later edited the O. Henry Memorial Prize Short Stories.
In her letter, Cather informs Brickell that she has read the review of her book, The Professor’s House (1925), and she compliments him on his work. The letter reads in full,
Your review of my book has just reached me up here in the woods where I am working. It is the only one I’ve seen so far that outlines what I was trying to do in the story. I didn’t know I was writing a cross-word puzzle. One gets tired of repeating the same pattern, in the same sequence, forever, like an insect.
Might I ask you to send me another copy of that notice? I’d like one to send to my French publishers and translator. This book may puzzle them, too, and your review presents the content of it better than I could, I’m sure.
Research did not turn up a copy of Brickell’s review. His papers are housed in the Special Collections library at the University of Mississippi.
(#12721)
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