Columbus State University Archives and Special Collections

Cassette Tape 18 Side B -- Carson's Letters

Identifier

MC298-5-1-012b

Title

Cassette Tape 18 Side B -- Carson's Letters

Date

1950-1953, 1959, 1963

Language

English

Duration

00:31:24

Transcription

Margaret Sullivan reading:

Autograph, to Mr. Medsker

envelope to Mr. Westly Hartley in Anaheim

May 18, 1963 letter from McCullers to Robert Lantz in New York saying "I hate reading all this stuff, but I don't know what to do"

May 18, 1963 letter from Carson to John Ziegler saying "Dearest John, I wish you could find out Gordan Hall's cousin's name" and goes to ask that he do it without letting Gordon know that she asked. She explains that Gordon is coming for a visit and she doesn't want him to know that she doesn't remember his cousin's name

May 10, 1963 letter from John to McCullers and Mary Mercer saying how much they enjoyed their visit and thanking them for the candy they left with John and Edwin as a gift. Zeigler gives details of his and Edwin's plans to go to Europe in August and perhaps having an opportunity to visit them in Nyack on the way. He also tells of a planned trip to New York with Edwin's sister to see two performances of the Royal Ballet

May 18, 1963 letter (marked "Not sent at Mrs. McCullers request") from McCullers to Hy [or Ty?] Cohens asking him not to send her any books at this time and telling him "I have nominated Peter [Max] for the Academy; I have written to the Ford Foundation about him and also to the Guggenheim, closing with "Love to you and Helen"

the preceding was in reply to a letter from Hy [or Ty?] dated May 16, 1963 on World Publishing Co. letterhead asking McCullers, as a favor, to read an advance copy of a novel by a young Tennessean named Baker Hall and to comment either on or off the cover. He adds that he would like to introduce Peter Max to McCullers

May 28, 1963 letter from McCullers to Cecil Beaton at Warner Bros. thanking him for letter concerning the children's verses and hoping that he can come to Nyack for a real visit and referring to a letter from a kinsman to Tanya's saying that Clara is, as we would expect, very lonely and hoping that she can visit in the Fall. This letter has a note "Cecil's letter mailed to Robert Lantz 5-9-63

May 28, 1963 letter from McCullers to Jane Howard in London saying that Mary was overwhelmed by the jewels and saying that she doubts that either she or Mary could come to Europe this year since Mary plans to build a garage and she [McCullers] needs to paint her house, "therefore we will have to save our pennies for another season." McCullers adds that she is delighted hear that Jane is in love and tells her to "of course include him in the standing invitation to come visit in Nyack"

the preceding is in replay to a letter dated March 31, 1963 from Jane Hall to McCullers saying that she was happy to have heard from McCullers and was sorry to hear about her illness. She also hoped that Mary was amazed by the jewels, both as to quality and quantity. She adds that the TV piece they had done in the UK was much talked about. She [Jane} read a piece from the Ballad. She hopes they McCullers and Mary can come to England in the summer and that she and Colin could do things for her. She also adds that she is in love, but that it is a secret. She hopes to come to the U.S. and will let Carson know if it works out

June 20, 1963 letter Corso from Elizabeth Schneck to McCullers thanking her for her letter and a copy of "your brilliant play, The Member of the Wedding". She says that she had met with Carson's Swiss publisher in Zurich, who would be delighted to publish a translation of the play and he would write to Robert Lantz about the rights. She said that she had a hard fall in Zurich due to the weakness in her foot. Her doctor wants her to take a sulphur cure, but she can't until she finishes her translation of Faulkner's The Reevers. She goes on to discuss when would be best for Carson to visit Switzerland and suggests that it would better the next year rather than 1963

June 26, 1963 Carson's reply to Elizabeth Schneck commiserates with her about the difficulties of getting around with physical issues. She hopes to see Elizabeth in 1964 in Nyack

July 3, 1963 letter from McCullers to Elizabeth Schneck talking of the summer weather and goes on to say that the magazine with Annemarie's photograph and poem had disappeared and asking Elizabeth to send her another copy. McCullers goes on to describe a visit to "my lawyer and power of attorney [Floria Lasky] and her children . . .For the first time in 15 years I swam. For the first time in 15 years David and I danced to Mozart."

August 15, 1963 letter from McCullers to Mary Russell, saying "I have been faced with your problem and I do not know what to tell you so you must work it out yourself but I sent you all good wishes"

the preceding is a reply to Mary Russell's letter dated August 7, 1963 to McCullers saying that she was writing her master thesis in the works of McCullers and has reached a point where she can't justify to herself the completion of the thesis. She asks McCullers for her advice on continuing

October 31, 1963 letter from Gabriele Puspel to McCullers concerning some work on Dylan Thomas and asks about the times that he attended Carson's parties in London. She would like the names of other attendees and McCullers' impressions of Thomas

McCullers' reply to the preceding letter says that she met Thomas several times when Tennessee Williams gave dinner for McCullers' stay in St. George's Hospital in London. Edie Sitwell introduced me to Dylan

July 27, 1959 letter from Joan Snowden to McCullers c/o Houghton Mifflin, saying how moved she was by The Member of the Wedding

McCullers reply to the preceding is dated August 8, 1959 and says "I bless you for writing such a lovely letter to me."

letter dated "Wednesday" from Janet Flanner to McCullers enclosing a clipping from an east German publication and suggesting how she should respond to it

April 2, 1953 statement from McCullers saying "It has recently come to my attention through my friend Miss Janet Flanner of the New Yorker Magazine" that an east German communist magazine USA had recently reprinted portions from her book The Heart is a Lonely Hunter without her knowledge or permission. Furthermore, the comments about Karl Marx had been torn from their context and presented as if it represented her own personal opinion. "Nothing is farther off from the truth."

attached there is a copy of the magazine, with a picture of the Rosenbergs and their children on the cover

April 8, 1953 letter on U.S. Department of State stationary from the U.S. Embassy in Paris on behalf to Ambassador Dillon to Mr. [sic] Carson McCullers concerning the communication of March 30, 1953 and enclosing a copy of a letter sent by the embassy public affairs officer to Bonn regarding the matter. The enclosed letter, dated April 8, 1953, was addressed to the public affairs officer of the High Commission on Germany and stated that Mr. [sic] Carson McCullers objected to the unauthorized publication of an excerpt from his [sic] novel in an east German publication and they embassy in Paris would like to have copies of any pertinent communications relating to the efforts made in Bonn to deal with the matter

[there are several back and forth notes, statements and letters concerning this, with one bearing a hand-written note to McCullers from "John", who was probably her friend John L Brown who was assigned to the U.S. Embassy]

January 13, 1953 letter on Columbia Pictures stationary from Fred Zimmerman to McCullers offering her and Reeves a belated Happy New Years and going on to discuss the reactions to The Member of the Wedding, opining that the main point of agreement is that it will not a big money-maker. He reiterated his feeling that the movie should have been based on the novel and not the play but expressed his appreciation at having had the opportunity of being involved with the project

McCullers reply to the preceding is dated January 27, 1953 thanking Zimmerman for his letter and saying that she had been in Rome working on a script for Selznick that didn't go very well. She also told him that she was at work on a new novel, but was going to stop off to do a stage adaption of Anne Frank's diary for Cheryl Crawford

January 5, 1953 letter from McCullers to Mr. Ivo Chisea telling him that she has sent him a copy of her play The Member of the Wedding for his consideration for an Italian production

June 15, 1950 letter to Claire Fontaine, recommending Marty Mann's work on alcoholism

April 2, 1952 letter to Bob, Jennie and Carrie from McCullers proposing making the Ballad of the Sad Café into a musical instead of her original idea of an opera

December 5, 1950 letter from McCullers to Mrs. Hogan enclosing 4 poems for inclusion with the forthcoming omnibus edition of her works. She asked Mrs. Hogan to disregard any poems suggested by her sister [Rita] and to use them after Wunderkind if they are used.

Cassette Tape 19 -- Borosom Interview and Publishers Letters

Tape 19 – Side A – Borosom Interview / Vogue Pound -- 25 minutes and 7 seconds

Sullivan's Label: 19a Side 1 – Record (?) & the Boroson Interview – Published Vogue Books [MC 289-5-1-013a: Label]

Sullivan begins the tape by saying, "This is a published article by Warren Boroson titled Leading Lady of Literature and it published The Record Weekend Magazine of October 22, 1960. I think the area must be northern New Jersey, Bergenfield/Hackensack. It is an interview with Carson McCullers." She goes on to describe the photographs that accompany the article before reading the article itself. The interview was around the time of the Broadway opening of The Member of the Wedding. Carson answers questions about her writing methods and also what other writers have influenced her.

Files

MC298-5-1-012b_streaming.mp3
MC298-5-1-012b_AssetFront.JPG

Citation

“Cassette Tape 18 Side B -- Carson's Letters,” Columbus State University Archives and Special Collections , accessed March 28, 2024, http://digitalarchives.columbusstate.edu/items/show/1929.