Frank Harris Collection 1894-1924

Access and use

Location of collection:
University of Virginia, Special Collections Dept.
Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
University of Virginia
P.O. Box 400110
160 McCormick Rd
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4110
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Brenda Gunn
Phone: (434) 924-1037
Phone: (434) 243-1776
Fax: (434) 924-4968
Restrictions:

Collection is open to research.

Terms of access:

See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.

Preferred citation:

Frank Harris Collection, Accession 7453-b, Special Collections Department, University of Virginia Library

Summary

Creator:
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Frank Harris Collection, Accession 7453-b, Special Collections Department, University of Virginia Library

Background

Scope and content:

[Thanks him for review of stories; asks if he would like to review any books at present.]

[Relishes her sympathetic letter; discusses his articles on Shakespeare; warns that future articles will show the unpleasant, "dark shadows" of Shakespeare's life; wishes for more frequent correspondence.]

[Will now accept previously rejected terms offered by [Charles] Frohmanfor a production of "Mr. and Mrs. Daventry"; suggests concluding the arrangement through Addison Bright. ] [w/ec]

[Offers for publication his first long novel, "an implicit defence of the rebels against society."]

[Responds to request for his portrait by enclosing a photograph; believes reviewers misread The Bomb; mentions several books and plays that lack an audience; hopes a daring publisher will produce them someday.]

[Two books The Veils of Isisand a novel to be titled either Morningor Love in Youthwill be published in the U.S. soon; wishes to sell the English rights; copies are available from Normaford Burnett; outlines possible improvements. Solicits opinion of Great Days; mentions economic hardships and comments on the surprising quiet of " Parisin siege time."]

[Sends galley proofs of improved short stories included in a collection entitled either The Veils of Isisor The Yellow Ticket; discusses financial concerns resulting from the war; mentions Memorial Editionof Shakespeareto be published by Hearst; predicts that a short war with social revolution in Berlinmight end the Hohenzollern dynasty.]

[Claims articles in the Daily Sketchmisrepresented him; discusses stories to be included in The Yellow Ticket; describes The Memorial Edition of Shakespearewhich he hopes Hearst will publish in 1916; this edition will include proof that two plays were written by Shakespeare; mentions work on Great Days; hopes to leave Francefor New York; says Normaford Burnetthas a corrected copy of "The Ugly Duckling."]

[Sold rights to publish The Yellow Ticketin Great Britain, the colonies, and India; hopes to leave Parisfor the front; notes that life in Parisis in "suspended animation"; agrees The Yellow Roomis best title; will amend story and terms of agreement if necessary; inquires about publication date and possibility of book on the war; mentions Davidson piece in Contemporary Portraits. ]

[Thanks him for payment; agrees to contract changes; suggests possibility of doing Memorial Edition of Shakespearein 1916; believes that "small men" such as Deschanel, Clemenceau, Millerand, Joffre, Pall, Kitchener, and Churchill are without a touch of greatness; will observe Joffre "at work"; mentions new story for The Yellow Ticket; expects that war will be a long one, barring a revolution in Germany; requests help getting position as correspondent for English or American newspaper.]

[Sends corrected proofs and changed order of stories; needs to work on The Veils of Isis; hopes to do so on ship to New York; mentions lack of communication about money.]

[Will send proofs; cannot write story on ship because of seasickness; will try in New York; will send power of attorney someday.] (RMS Olympic stationery)

[Sends corrected The Yellow Ticket; discusses unsuccessful attempts to publish war articles in New York, and a successful lecture at the Arts Club; believes the Ponds Agencywill offer him further opportunities to lecture; mentions financial situation, article on "American Opinion," and British failures of statesmanship.]

[Regrets early publication of The Yellow Ticket; will visit Douglas Doty, but feels American editors prefer bad work over good; requests twelve copies of The Yellow Ticketbe sent in care of Temple Scottand one to John F. Harris, head of Cambridge Review; writing book on the war with an anti-British theme.] (initialed by WGD)

[Complains of errors in the [British] edition of The Yellow Ticket; doubts Richards has "pluck" to publish his controversial, pro-German book on the war; admits that moderating comments on Justice Horridge in the book might be reasonable.]

[Sends England or Germany, hoping he will publish it with the usual commission; asks his opinion of the book; declares book is not libelous, but Judge Horridge's name may be omitted; complains about Arnold Benett's criticism of his Sunarticles; mentions lecture tour, publication of Contemporary Portraitsby Methuen. Declares success of lecture tour in the West; says wife will travel to England; hopes his American nationality will be publicized by Richards in order to deflect criticism in Truthand The Globethat he is a traitor; predicts German victory.]

[Hopes letter reaches Frank Palmer; mentions copyrights on The Man Shakespeare, Shakespeare and His Loves, and his plan to publish a complete edition of his own works; requests copy of George Morris' book on Jesus; mentions sales of The Yellow Ticketand Contemporary Portraitsand forthcoming works Oscar Wilde: His Life and Confessionsand Love in Youth; rejoices that he is feeling creative again; hopes their friendship will not be affected by differences of opinion.]

[Discusses Wilde book and shares views on his life; welcomes a visit when he is in New Yorkwhen they can talk about his Mirbeau translation.]

[Requests books which he has seen in The Nationand The Outlook. ]

[Wishes he were in Bernkastel, Germany; sends six copies of Pearson'sand his first book of short stories; questions states of destitution in Northern Franceand Germany; requests a long letter.]

[Indicates he may publish part of Weber's letter; requests an account of his experiences which might be used as an article; hopes to meet him on his return; urges him to promote Pearson'samong his comrades.]

[Comments on the state of Europe, the transfer of territories including the Saar valleyand Metz, political greed, and his despair for the future; in AN at bottom, requests a detailed account of the correspondent's experiences, specifically about conditions in Germany. ]

[Introduces [Claude] McKaywhose poems he admires; suggests they are more likely to be published in book form in Englandas he is Jamaican; has sent a letter to [George Bernard] Shaw; would like McKay to meet either Siegfried Sassoonor the Sitwells or Robert Nichols. ]

[Describes his own reaction to My Life and Loves; extols its honesty; outlines second volume of autobiography to be published soon which includes "sex stories" of his contemporaries; expects it will be confiscated; discusses price of first volume; will have one sent by friends; mentions financial difficulties because of resentment of his pacifism in the U.S.A.; expects to "triumph" eventually.]

[Describes the year's literary production, the fourth volume of Contemporary Portraitsand Undreamed of Shorespublished by Grant Richards; solicits her opinion of them; inquires about the copies of The Life and Confessions of Oscar Wildehe had sent and whether they contained Bernard Shaw's "Memoirs of Oscar Wilde"; describes the second volume of My Life [and Loves]and the people portrayed in it; believes its honesty is a return to Ben Jonsonand William Shakespeare. ]

[Inquires if the copy of The Life and Confessions of Oscar Wildeordered before the war was received because he discovered a subscriber who had not received his; mentions Bernard Shaw's praise for the book and the inclusion of his "Memoirs of Oscar Wilde" in later editions.]

[Gives wholesale and retail prices of volumes one and two of My Life and Loves; describes volume two as his best book; hopes to avoid "US smut-hounds" by binding it in plain paper; uncertain that Ulysseswill get through customs, but gives the name and address of its publisher.]

[Sends enclosure at Frank Harris's request; forwards packet to him in U.S.; will deliver agreement made with Palmer for the Shakespeare. ]

[Praises her love of truth but disagrees with her opinion about the "Marconi speculations"; describes the corruption of Lloyd Georgeand Rufus Isaacs; refers her to piece in The National Reviewon the matter; criticizes his own writing style used in an article on Theodore Dreiserin The Academy; feels he should have rewritten it; requests visit to read corrected version of Love in Youth; will then begin work on Oscar Wilde: His Life and Confessions. ]

Acquisition information:
Deposit, 1964 Nov 5
Processing information:

Funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities

Physical location:
Physical description:
40 items