LETTERS: Elisabeth Young-Bruehl, Mary McCarthy, Jerome Kohn.
McCarthy to Kohn
with Kohn’s carbons
1976 – 1989. 54 original letters (76 pages) from McCarthy – primarily typed letters signed, some with envelope; with an occasional autograph postcard. A lively correspondence, with letters often running to two pages or more, filled with conjecture, insight, fact, emotion, and, above all, discussion between these two Arendt scholars and friends – with McCarthy’s relationship obviously being the longer and more intimate. Kohn’s side of the conversation is represented by 39 letters – typed letter carbons and photocopies – (90 pages).
Enclosures include proof pages annotated by both, McCarthy’s answers to specific textual queries (see for instance five pages enclosed with the letter of February 24, 1977), and related items.
McCarthy from Young-Bruehl
with McCarthy’s carbons
1978 – 1981. 17 original letters (29 pages) from Young-Bruehl – primarily typed letters signed, soliciting assistance with her work on her Arendt biography and on various reviews and essays along the way. With McCarthy’s side of the correspondence represented by 16 typed letter carbons (23 pages). Arendt is generous and supportive, if not enthusiastic, and her letters are gently and voluminously informative – her participation clearly changed the course of Young-Bruehl’s book throughout discussion of Arendt’s life and work, contemporary criticism thereof and related reviews, as well as business, licensing and permissions. That said, the two did not always agree, and Young-Bruehl even delayed sending a copy of the final work to McCarthy so that she could enjoy her success before hearing McCarthy’s thoughts.
Enclosures include photocopies copies of Young-Bruehl’s writing, related clippings and reference material, as well as correspondence to relevant third parties (primarily at publishers’ offices).
Young-Bruehl to Kohn: ALS, “Monday”; TLS, n.d.; ALS, “July 6” [1978]. With a TLC from Kohn, 2 pp., January 31, 1978, and March 16, 1981, 3 pp.
Additional McCarthy Correspondence
Typed letter signed to William Jovanovich, February 24, 1982, two pages.
Typed letter carbon to George Steiner, July 5, 1982, with Steiner’s typed letter signed response, July 21, 1982, one page.
Typed letter carbons by McCarthy throughout the following files:
Life of the Mind, including voluminous incoming letters and outgoing carbons; noteworthy are
her letters to William Shawn; and letters from Roberta Leighton at Harcourt Brace.
Roberta Leighton
Ernst Vollrath
Roger Errerra
Melvyn Hill
Rita Vaughan
Sonning Prize
Francois
Notebooks (containing primarily photocopies from Arendt’s notebooks)
Condolence letters to McCarthy
A few dozen, many with her typed carbon replies attached.
(#4655981)
Print Inquire
