April 2025 Auction Ends Thursday, April 24th, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/24/2025
John Steinbeck autograph letter twice-signed, with ''John Steinbeck'' on the address panel, and ''John'' at the conclusion of the letter. Dated 26 March (1959), Air Mail letter is from Discove Cottage in Bruton, Somerset, England, where Steinbeck was writing ''The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights''. Steinbeck writes a warm and engaging letter to his typist Mary Morgan, opening the letter with a quote from ''Canterbury Tales'' referencing the month of March giving way to the showers of April and the blossoming of spring. Letter reads,
''Dear M.M.: Whan that Aprille wip his shoures soote - The droghte of March hath perced to the roote...This is proper country to do my work. I had thought not to start for at least a month but it has started already, sweetly and quietly as it should: Are you there? (telephone type talk) Now - it is in handwriting but will be as clear as I can make it. One thing has worried me. There is only one copy and if it should get lost, there is no second. But I have just thought of an answer. London is sending me a tape recorder. Before I send you the m.s. I will read it on tape and that will be my copy. Then, when you have received the manuscript, and advised me, I can scrub the tape and do some more on it. You still want to do it, don't you?
Did Thom ever take the table and the typewriter to you? I have never heard from him. It is about time for him to be back at school. If he did not, will you get someone to help you take them to your house? When I send copy, I will also send instructions about how to type it. Now that's all the business. How are you? How is your love life. How's Jennifer? The Beechers? How are you? If you are near my house will you please look on my address wheel and send me the address of Frank Laesser and also of Leslie S. Brady in Washington. He may be listed as Lee Brady. How are you? I am fine. Elaine is having the time of her life. She helped clean the Bruton church, a 13th century Perp. Her favorite kind. She scrounged out the ears of the reclining figures on the tombs and I believe opened the ones [?] off the bone...
From my little work room I look out on fields and meadows and hills and forest. A few houses are in sight but there is absolutely nothing that wasn't there in the 15th century except some new cows. So you see why this is such a good place to work. Please write - write please. Please to write. Would that you might write. Want to hear my first English aphorism? It goes - 'if there were no such things as Brussel sprouts, the British would have had to invent them.' / Love and I do wish you would write. / yours / John''.
Single page letter in blue ballpoint measures 8'' x 9.5''. Light creasing, overall in very good plus condition.
John Steinbeck Autograph Letter Signed ''John Steinbeck'' -- From England Opening with ''Canterbury Tales'', ''Whan that Aprille wip his shoures soote - The droghte of March hath perced to the roote''
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