133

STEINBECK, JOHN. Typed Letter Signed, "John," to his literary agent Elizabeth Otis,

"THE SCRIPT OF EAST OF EDEN FOR WARNER BROTHERS SEEMS WELL IN HAND" STEINBECK, JOHN. Typed Letter Signed, "John," to his literary agent Elizabeth Otis, reporting that his novel and play "Bear Flag" are nearly complete [ Sweet Thursday (1954)], mentioning that the East of Eden screenplay is progressing, proposing that his next project should include a trip that improves upon the one he took for Collier's magazine which resulted in several articles, suggesting Seville and other places in Spain to observe and photograph Holy Week and other festivals, remarking that few Americans know the truth about Spain, suggesting a visit to an unexplored cave in southern Spain to study cave paintings, and requesting approval for the proposed trip so that he could book a reservation on the ship. 1 page, 4to, personal stationery; horizontal folds, few forcefully-typed letter "o"s created tiny holes. New York, 25 August 1953

". . . My work in progress [s]eems at last to have an end in sight. The Book and play Bear Flag will be done in at the most a month or so. The script of East of Eden for Warner Brothers seems well in hand and the various small jobs are drawing to a close . . . .
"I think I know what I would like to try . . . . When I went to Europe two years ago for Colliers Magazine, I . . . inspected everything with an eye to what Colliers could or would print. This limited my field of writing a great deal . . . .
"The following is my plan . . . . I want to sail to Spain, attend Holy Week festival i[n] Seville and also the great Feria that follows it. . . . I know I could probably [c]over the Fiesta for some magazine but I would rather go free lance because such a job would limit my field of writing . . . . Following the Easter season I want to drive about in Spain and to visit the large part I have not seen. . . . I don't think Americans have been told the truth about Spain. . . . I want to visit the southern provinces and then go north to the State of Cuenca. When I was there before I saw the entrance to a cave newly discovered and still largely unexplored. I was told that there are paintings on the walls of this cave better . . . than the great find at Alta Mira. . . . The subject fascinates me and I think also [there] could be a very good story for me. Besides this I would like to do some stories about pain in the light of its history, but set in the modern period. . . ."
With--Retained draft of Elizabeth Otis's typed reply to Steinbeck's letter, expressing interest in his proposal, suggesting that he underestimates the success of his previous trip, nevertheless accepting his wish to work on freelance basis, and encouraging him to write short stories. 1 page, 4to. [New York], 27 August 1953.

  • Provenance:

    ". . . My work in progress [s]eems at last to have an end in sight. The Book and play Bear Flag will be done in at the most a month or so. The script of East of Eden for Warner Brothers seems well in hand and the various small jobs are drawing to a close . . . .
    "I think I know what I would like to try . . . . When I went to Europe two years ago for Colliers Magazine, I . . . inspected everything with an eye to what Colliers could or would print. This limited my field of writing a great deal . . . .
    "The following is my plan . . . . I want to sail to Spain, attend Holy Week festival i[n] Seville and also the great Feria that follows it. . . . I know I could probably [c]over the Fiesta for some magazine but I would rather go free lance because such a job would limit my field of writing . . . . Following the Easter season I want to drive about in Spain and to visit the large part I have not seen. . . . I don't think Americans have been told the truth about Spain. . . . I want to visit the southern provinces and then go north to the State of Cuenca. When I was there before I saw the entrance to a cave newly discovered and still largely unexplored. I was told that there are paintings on the walls of this cave better . . . than the great find at Alta Mira. . . . The subject fascinates me and I think also [there] could be a very good story for me. Besides this I would like to do some stories about pain in the light of its history, but set in the modern period. . . ."
    With--Retained draft of Elizabeth Otis's typed reply to Steinbeck's letter, expressing interest in his proposal, suggesting that he underestimates the success of his previous trip, nevertheless accepting his wish to work on freelance basis, and encouraging him to write short stories. 1 page, 4to. [New York], 27 August 1953.
  • Condition:
    Please contact the Specialist for the auction to request a condition report.

    Condition reports and additional images are provided as a courtesy and should be used by you to aid in the formation of your own opinion regarding condition. All material is sold subject to Swann's standard Terms and Conditions of Sale as published in our catalogues and posted on our website, and include the following terms: (1) all property is sold "as-is"; and (2) works cannot be returned on the basis of condition.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Upon request, Swann will facilitate the shipping of purchases to out-of-town buyers at an additional charge for packing, shipping and insurance, but will not be responsible for any loss, damage or delay resulting from the packing, handling and shipping thereof. Unless specific instructions are received, Swann is the sole judge of the method to be used for shipment. Packing and shipping costs will be noted on the invoice mailed to successful bidders after the sale, and are based on the actual costs involved. Be advised that a full commercial invoice must accompany any purchase shipped outside the US.

November 14, 2024 12:00 PM EST
New York, NY, US

Swann Auction Galleries

You agree to pay a buyer’s premium, as outlined below, and any applicable taxes and shipping.
Buyer's Premium
$0 - $100,000:
27.00%
$100,001 - $1,000,000:
22.00%
$1,000,001+:
12.00%

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $149 $10
$150 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $5,999 $200
$6,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 $499,999 $20,000
$500,000 + $50,000