Letters from the Editor by Thomas Kunkel

Author:Thomas Kunkel [Kunkel, Thomas]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-55738-4
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2000-06-14T16:00:00+00:00

Ross made several runs at this during the war but the magazine never did skip any issues.

When Harper's magazine published a profile of Ross, he took quite a ribbing from friends. Mencken wrote him that the piece “makes me groan. There was material enough to scare half the children of America to death, but all the authors managed to do is to touch the edges of it. I am almost tempted to spit on my hands and do one myself. If I ever get to I'll print it in either the Christian Herald or the Police Gazette.”

TO H. L. MENCKEN

THE NEW YORKER

APRIL 1, 1943

Dear Mencken:

I didn't read the damned thing. The author was quoted to me as saying that it was going to be thrilling, and that was final with me. E. B. White read the piece, as a courtesy to Harpers, for which he does a column, and told them it was dull and no good. I found long ago that if you don't read these things they don't bother you

Let me know ahead of time when you come up and I will try to rally. As a matter of fact, I've been feeling just dandy and such of my complaining as isn't habit—and due to having to live the life of a well-behaved Methodist minister—is defense mechanism. My ulcer has come to be my pal; it's the best alibi I've ever had and has simplified my social life beyond belief.

God bless you,

Ross

PS. If you write a piece about me I'll read it, but I can't be bothered by any bush leaguers any more.

R.

TO SAMUEL HOPKINS ADAMS

THE NEW YORKER

APRIL 5TH [1943]

Dear Sam:

… I didn't read the Harpers piece. The hell with it. E. B. White said it was the dullest document of the year and I don't want to get bored by myself.

R

TO H. L. MENCKEN

THE NEW YORKER

APRIL 8, 1943

Dear Mencken:

Yes, it will be all right if you give us another story for the one that got caught in the tangle, or some such. You wrote in a letter a long time ago that this story was a surplusage of Happy Days and “would probably never go in any book,” but it is half our fault, too, because Blanche Knopf sent us a list of the contents of the last book and we didn't catch the title of this story on the list. We will bear at least half the burden and probably more. I will make a stand with the business office and will prevail. I don't give a damn about the money, anyhow; it's the loss of potential contents that breaks my heart. The inflow is very limited now, with so many writers in service, and the loss of even one story is serious and painful. Lobrano had this one scheduled and was about ready to go to press when we found out that it was in the book.

When you feel the urge to write some stories again, know that there's an eager maw here.

I am going up to Boston to see my lady doctor for a check-up next Monday.

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