Explanatory Notes        Apparatus Notes ()

Source: Harvard University, Houghton Library, Cambridge, Mass ([MH-H])

Cue: "Some time ago"

Source format: "MS"

Letter type: "[standard letter]"

Notes:

Last modified:

Revision History: AB

Published on MTPO: 2007

Print Publication:

MTPDocEd
To William Dean Howells
9 June 1880 • 2nd of 2 • Hartford, Conn. (MS: MH-H, UCCL 02812)
My Dear Howells:

Some time ago, I told Orion to sit down & write his autobiography—& do it in a plain, simple, truthful way, suppressing none of the disagreeables—& said that in order to be able to really accomplish this, he must use genuine names & genuine dates & localities—& that when the thing was finished he could then lay his history in some other State, change the real dates & names to fictitious ones, use a feigned name for himself, & nobody would ever know who wrote it.

He started in—& I think the result is killingly entertaining; in parts absolutely delicious. I’m going to mail you 100 pages or so of the MS. Read it; keep his secret; & tell me, if, after surplusage has been weeded out, & I ring into the MS here & there a characteristic letter of his, you’ll buy the stuff for the Atlantic at the ordinary rates for anonymous matter from unknown writers.

Ys Ever
Mark.
Textual Commentary
Source text(s):

MS, MH-H, shelf mark bMS Am 1784 (98).

Previous Publication:

MTHL , 1:312–13.

Provenance:

See Howells Letters in Description of Provenanceclick to open link.

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