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Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library© 1997 By the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia. All rights reserved.
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Booth Tarkington Collection, Accession 7416-b, Special Collections Department, University of Virginia Library
Deposit [ 1963 Dec 17 ] 1966 May 16
Funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities
[Tribute to Julian Street . ]
[Includes autograph corrections.]
[Includes printed advertisement for a short film entitled " Wayman Adams Painting a Portrait."]
[Sends thanks of cast and crew of "Katherine" for telegram which was read to the cast before the curtain; writes that it inspired the cast; believes the performance of "Katherine" was more professional and scholarly than the other production of the [Princeton College Dramatic] Association ; believes audience enjoyed it; states that [J. C. B.] Pendleton will send an accounting of books sold in the lobby.]
[Includes typed copy; recommends Charles Fisk Dalton as a man of character and ability in literary matters.]
[Declines invitation to dinner; plans to take his wife to a dinner given by George Harvey in honor of H[enry] James ; asks for forgiveness for delaying his response; writes that he is almost as irresponsible as Oliver Herford . ]
[Satirically prohibits further communication or access to box-office, yacht or club; describes grand dinner given by "Handsome Newt Tarkenheimer" for "Hon. Ed. Simmings"; gives examples of "Simmings'" restrained vocabulary because of the presence of young ladies.]
[States that he has sent manuscript of [ Of His Own People ]; praises [Lawrence] Mazzanovitch 's paintings; asks that Mac write him; comments favorably on Mark Lee Luther 's latest novel; writes that he is working on a comedy drama with H. L. Wilson ; requests that " Cord and Creese " and " The Dodge Club " be sent to him; hopes " A Castle in Spain " and " The American Baron " will be included in the DeMiller; urges commission be given to Mazzanovitch.]
[Gives permission to perform "Monsieur Beaucaire" for charity event, waiving his share of the fee although the estate of his collaborator, [Evelyn Greenleaf] Sutherland , will collect her share; states that the manuscript can be obtained from R. Cooper McGrue of Elizabeth Marbury 's firm; explains that sets are simple and the number of characters may be cut, as the play has been performed with fifty under [Richard] Mansfield and thirteen under [Crestor ?] Clark . ]
[Thanks him for the pictures, which are right for light comedy; believes those by Miss Green were too serious; states that he is finishing The Flirt which will begin in the Saturday Evening Post on December 1; writes that he received " Mark Twain " from [A. B.] Paine and finds it to be exceptionally well written.]
[Writes that he has no pictures of himself, but recommends reproducing the portrait by Wayman Adams ; mentions that he is "spending the summer at the Doubleday-Page bookshop in the Lord & Taylor store on Fifth Avenue."]
[Apologizes; states that they will do it.]
[Regrets missing the seance; writes he has been busy rewriting a play; hopes to see him at Kennebunk Beach and learn what happened.]
[Says his association with Richard Harding Davis was infrequent although it covered 15 years; feels every meeting made him "exhilarated and optimistic."]
[Signs N.B.T.; encloses the note suggested; requests proofs of serial; wishes to change the wording in ["Jinny's"] letter; fear it will give readers the wrong impression of "Anne."]
[Thanks him for note; says he will remember the [request for a submission to the Literary Review ].]
[Declines request to review a book because of other commitments.]
[Expresses thanks for the "gadget"; describes meeting with a Boston detective and an individual who suspect 2 summer visitors of his burglary as well as abducting Raymond Robbins ; appreciates Brandt's bringing the portrait when he comes; hopes to identify the painter's style.]
[Regrets being unable to attend his class reunion at the Phillips Exeter Academy ; writes that his ten year ordeal with vision problems has left him a "nervous invalid" whose "dancing days are over."]
[Regrets being unable to receive an honorary degree from Rollins College and participating in its Animated Magazine ; says that a nervous disorder makes it impossible for him to be among large groups; mentions happy memories of Archie Bradshaw and Ethel Moore in Brooklyn and Holt's in-laws, Berkley Smith and family.]
[Includes item from the Chicago Sunday Tribune , 1945 Jan 14; thanks him for copies of Magazine of Sigma Chi memorializing George Ade ; praises the tribute to an exceptional man and suggests that it be "made into a book."]
[Comments on the difficulty of being objective about one's own work; states he rarely re-reads his books; finds it too painful; judges his best work to be the most recent, Kate Fennigate a year or so ago, Josephine now, something else later.]
[Expresses familiarity with Tolstoy's Kingdom of God ; hopes it encourages the idea that the Russian mind is open to world peace if we do not arm ourselves and force them to do the same; mentions a Tolstoy Society was formed by Quakers but is uncertain whether or not it still exists; encloses comments on peacetime conscription.]
[Signs N. B. Tarkington; accompanies a letter of introduction to S. Adams of the advertising staff of McClures who will know whom to contact at Harper's ; suggests getting a letter from Riley to Century , from Major to MacMillan Publishing Co. , and from Curtis of B. M. to Dodd , Mead , Scribner's , Appleton , etc.; hopes McClures will be satisfactory.]
[Invites her to Mrs. Fraser's dance; hopes many months of atonement have resulted in "absolution" and a positive reply.]