xt7qjq0stw34_1987 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7qjq0stw34/data/mets.xml https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7qjq0stw34/data/1997ms474.dao.xml unknown archival material 1997ms474 English University of Kentucky The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.  Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. W. Hugh Peal manuscript collection Basil King letter to Duneka text 43.94 Cubic Feet 86 boxes, 4 oversize boxes, 22 items Poor-Good Peal accession no. 11453. Basil King letter to Duneka 2017 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7qjq0stw34/data/1997ms474/Box_19/Folder_43/Multipage6723.pdf 1914 July 15 1914 1914 July 15 section false xt7qjq0stw34_1987 xt7qjq0stw34 THE THISTLES
MONADNOCK,NEW HAMPSHIRE

15/7/14.
My dear Duneka

Very many thanks for your kind note, and for the assurance that
you will try the experiment I have at heart/by not sending out The Lettef
of the Contract for review.

I am most happy to add as a postscript to my letter that, as
book—notices 3011 have no complaint of a personal nature to make. It
is true that for some years past I have not read any such notices at all]
so that my report is based on what reviewers said of my earlier pub-
lications. I had certainly no complaint to make then — though I was
driven to give up reading newspaper comments on my work in order to
preserve my sanity. In days when I took the critics reverentially

I read and collated their remarks about what I did in the hope of dis—

1
covering my own short—comings and some new secret of my craft.
But not a bit! One said black and another said white and another said
blue — while I saw red. Still, in the matter of treatment, I am will-

ing to believe that I have fared no worse than others, and perhaps bettef

than some. Since the law of life is é la guerre comme a la guerre

I should never’? shrink from blows ~ if they did any good; my dis—

satisfaction with the present system is because all the fun is on one ta
side,

But, after all, that is not my real point. If the critics helpqfl
us to Beef books I would take anything lying down. As it is, they rifle
that by which you and I have to live, as a cat rifles a bird's—nest.

What the poor bird has brooded on for weeks serves the eat only for a

 

 THE THISTLES
MONADNOCK,NEW HAMPSHIRE

and the mischief is done. If it were not for that I should

in silence — ct persuade myself that I suffer at

You say that while the evil is greatlhow it is to be met is
beyond you. But I don't quite see that. I certainly think it can't
be met all at once - but we might feel the way to doing so. What
is at the root of it is — partially at any rate - the perfectly
comprehensible desire of the author to hear what people will say of his
bit of work. Well, he does hear — very often more than he wants to,
But when he begins to realize that his bread isn‘t buttered on this
side - and that the less he gives away of his thunder to the papers
the more money it will be in his pocket - he will begin to ask as I do
that his work should not be sent out. It seems to me that it is for the
author to take the first step rather than the publisher. It is for
authors in general to get the idea by degrees — and act on it. If
they won‘t they will only have themselves to blame. But this much is
certain - that the bird can't invite the cat into the nest, and still
profit by its eggs.

But all this is what I have said before. When you start me on
it I can‘t stop. Let me answer your question as to the moving picture
rights. Those to the Wild Olive are disposed of to Oliver Moresco.

Those to The Inner Shrine are involved - I think 7% in my contract

dealing with the dramatic rights, but this I must find out. Téose to The

Street Called Straight are free. Do I understand the offer of $1000

advanced royalties to be for anyone of them, or for a combination of the

 

 THE THISTLES
MONADNOCK,NEW HAMPSHIRE

Will you kindly tell Wells that I hope to send him 24 chapters
of the new book next week? I am at the twenty~eighth, but I will
send him what I can conveniently get re—tgped. As you see my own
typing is after the schole of Stratforde—atte—aowe — and my sten—
ographer is having a two months holiday. I hope to finish the book by
the end of Septemberlso as to have plenty of time for revision.

Again thanking you for your kind note, and repeating that I

am not at all disgruntled over anything the critics may have said of me,

believe me,

Very s incerely you?