Irish writer and leader of the Aesthetic Movement, author of The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Happy Prince, etc., whose career and health were shattered by his imprisonment on charges of sodomy. ALS, four pages on two adjoining sheets, 5 x 6.5, 16 Tite Street letterhead, September 30. Letter to J. M. Stoddart, managing editor of Lippincott’s Magazine, who also corresponded with Arthur Conan Doyle. In full, “I have just returned from France, and find your letter of the 18th waiting for me. You ask me to try and send you my story ‘Early in October’ surely you mean ‘Early in November’? If you would be content with 30,000 words I might be able to post the M.S. to you the first week in November - but October is of course out of the question - as I am only just back. If this date, and 30,000 words will do, telegraph me on receipt of this. If not, it will be sufficient to write. I was very pleased to see you again, and hope you will often come to London.” A small date of reception notation has been added to top left reading, “10/11/89.” The exact text from this letter is published in The Collected Letter of Oscar Wilde, 2000 edition, and appears on page 413. On August 30, 1889, Stoddart entertained Wilde and Conan Doyle to dinner in London. He asked them both for stories he could publish. Doyle replied with the second Sherlock Holmes novel, The Sign of Four, which would appear in the magazine in February, 1890, and Wilde initially responded with The Fisherman and His Soul, with Wilde instead submitting The Picture of Dorian Gray which began as a short novel. Wilde submitted the first version of The Picture of Dorian Gray, which was published on June 20,1890 in the July edition of Lippincott's. There was a delay in getting Wilde's work to press while numerous changes were made to the manuscripts of the novel (some of which survive to this day). Some of these changes were made at Wilde's instigation, and some at Stoddart's. Wilde also attempted to moderate some of the more homoerotic instances in the book, or instances whereby the intentions of the characters may be misconstrued. In very good condition, with scattered light soiling to each page, intersecting mailing folds, small area of ink loss to paraph of signature, and slight mounting remnants to reverse edge of last page. Auction LOA John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and R&R COA.
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