Jack London: Two Unpublished Letters ‘Found’- Transcriptions

 

Yesterday’s post introduced two letters from Jack London to his sometimes literary agent Dan Murphy. (See Jack London: Two Unpublished Letters ‘Found’.) I am adding transcriptions in this post for better search capabilities for other researchers.

 

October 4, 1901, Jack London to Dan [Murphy?] letter, transcription:

                                              Jack London

                                     56 Bayo Vista Avenue

                                            Oakland, Calif.

                                               [stamped]

 

Oct. 4/01 [typewritten]

 

[typewritten; additional spaces left between quotes and words per original]

Dear Dan:-

Yes, The Book is progressing. Anna and

I now have thirty thousand and more words done on it,

and we do not expect to add more than twenty thousand

more. So then you’ll have a double task on your hands–

—-a sketch of Anna as well as the one of me.

 

Anna reviewed the ” God of His Fathers ” in

current ” Impressions. ” Of course you will have seen

it ere this. But if you haven’t, write me and I’ll get

you a copy. I haven’t one in the house just now. It

is by far the best review the book has received. It hah

has sympathy and understanding, which is something few

reviews possess and then in only infintesiml(spl?)

quantities.

 

Please thank Mr. and Mrs. Markham for me

for their kind invitation, which in itself gives me

great happiness, though the signs for an Eastern trip

are not auspicious.

 

Mrs. London and Joan send regards,

Jack London [signature]

 

 

December 28, 1901, Jack London to Dan [Murphy?] letter, transcription:

Jack London

56 Bayo Vista Avenue

Oakland, Calif.

[stamped]

 

Dec. 28/01 [typewritten]

 

[typewritten]

 

Dear Dan:-

 

Do you know if the ATLANTIC permits

the stuff it buys to be published in England? They

are, I believe, on the eve of closing with a certain

story of mine, which is a pretty fair sort of a

story. Let me know whether McClure’s forward

duplicate copies to you mentioned in last letter.

 

Yes, I presume a fake publication was

made of the SON OF THE WOLFin England in 1899 in

order to obtain British copyright. Itwas only

curiosity prompted me to ask, anyway, for Ward,

Lock & Co., bought the copyright outright. Perhaps

they are withholding publication for twenty years

on the chance of my becoming famous.

 

I have started the Success story, which

I shall submit through your hands.

 

Could you give me a line on what prices

 

 

[page 2, cut short]

 

LIPPINCOTT’S and SMART SET usually offer for

novelettes of ?? [two letters typed over to mark out] 25,000 to 35,000 words. And

Are LIPPINCOTT’S open to adventure novelettes with

a love thread woven in?

 

The novel written long ago was accepted

by McClure, Phillips & Co., [sic] They said they would

first seek serial publication for it, and later

bring it out themselves in book form. I haven’t

much interest in the novel. It was my first.

 

[Remainder of page appears to have been cut off.]

 

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1) Again, we greatly appreciate the kind assistance of Lisa Holland, Archivist, at the Horrmann Library, Wagner College, Staten Island, New York to locate these letters and other requested information. A thank you also goes out to the Dean of the college for allowing us to publish these letters in our blog and to share them at the Jack London Society 12th Biennial Symposium held on October 30-November 1, 2014, in Berkeley, California.

2) Please contact the Horrmann Library at Wagner College, Staten Island, New York, for permission to publish the letters.

3) Transcriptions by the author.

4) London, Jack. Letter, 04 Oct 1901, to Dan [Murphy?]. Edwin Markham Archives, Horrmann Library, Wagner College.

5) London, Jack. Letter, 28 Dec 1901, to Dan [Murphy?]. Edwin Markham Archives, Horrmann Library, Wagner College.

 

Please contact us if you would like higher resolution images.

Text copyright 2013-2014 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and Pamela M. McMurray. Please contact the Horrmann Library at Wagner College for permission to publish these letters.

 

 

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