The Collected Crane Archives: Hart Crane

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I know you’ll be glad to know that there is a good chance of my first book of poems, “White Buildings”, being published by next spring. In fact Boni & Liveright (at Waldo Frank’s persuasion) have practically agreed to bring it out if Eugene O’Neill will consent to write a short forward. They have lost so much money on the better kind of poetry (which simply doesn’t [underlined] sell these days) that they want to hook the book up with an illustrious name and catch the public that was as much as possible. Gene is a good friend of mine and admires my work – I know that – but whether or not he feels like performing this favor or I haven’t yet heard. Frank thinks he can engineer the matter anyway – in time, but I don’t know. He would gladly write the foreword himself if he thought his name would count sufficiently, and at any rt rate will write a whole page of praise for it in the New Republic when it comes out. This and other favorable reviews that I am sure to get from friends of mine out to makeqw [sic] quite a sensation for the book. I’m a little up in the air with the uncertainty and excitement of the present situation. It would be fine for me in so many ways if the thing did go through!

Have been reading Ernest Hemingway’s “In Our Time”, a new book that is full of startlingly simple and vivid description. I think you would enjoy it, too. Waldo Frank’s “City Block” has been trans-lated into French – and the first edition of 1,000 copies was subscribed for before the book even appeared. His recognition there is in strik-ing contrast to the indifference here. Watch for his book next spring, “The Tragedy of Spain”. It’s one of the clearest and most dramatic books ever written.

Please give my best to Mart and all the boys, and write me again soon, Bill. Sam, who lives nearby, is always talking about you.

With love,
Hart

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