This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/26/2025
John Steinbeck typed letter unsigned, composed on his personalized stationery dated 27 September 1958. With a few hand-edits, Steinbeck writes to his typist Mary Morgan, with interesting content reading in part, ''...I came back from England so full of the Arthurian subject that it was running out of my ears. That was the first of July and I had the child lke [sic] confidence that I could sit right down and turn on the tap. Well, that was that. I couldn't! I have been fighting it ever since. Oh, the reams of yellow pages that have found their way into the wastebasket. Like autumn leaves they are. You see I forget every time that I always have trouble starting and in this case with the mass of information it is even worse. Finally I went into town to consult with Elizabeth Otis because I felt that I was butting my head against as [sic] wall. She is a very wise woman and a great critic not only of writing but of people. She suggested what I had suspected and did not quite trust, that I should back off and get my writing muscles strong by trying something else for a while that is entirely different. It is kind of like trying to remember a word or a name. The harder you try to more it eludes you. If you just think of something else for a while, sometimes it comes to you without warning. It just happens that I have something else that is ready togo [sic] and in fact is already going --- a little short and a natural book full of all of the exercises and imagination which should make my writing muscles strong. It should go very fast. If it does not, it would not be valuable for me to do it...The little book ONCE THERE WAS A WAR is now in type although I have not seen it yet...I can't imagine many people wanting to read this old book of old reminiscenses [sic] and Viking has no idea at all whether they can sell any at all. It is one of those wild gambles. I would have been against it because I never think I am going to sell many copies of anything. But somethings surprise you...'' Single page letter measures 8.5'' x 11'', ending abruptly but without additional pages. Near fine condition.