American writer (1903–1968) who is best known for his crime fiction; his story It Had to Be Murder served as the source for Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 classic Rear Window. World War II-dated TLS, one page, 6 x 9, Hotel Marseilles (New York) letterhead, January 28, 1943. Letter to “Swanie,” his literary agent H. N. Swanson, in full: “I WOULDN'T, etc., which I take it is what you mean by the ‘new William Irish serial,’ is not a unified story but a collection of five novelettes being brought out under one cover. You have one of them already, incidentally; LAST NIGHT. How about trying to land it? I'll send you copies of the entire batch, if you want, as soon as I get them, which should be in about a month. Your mentioning about requests for a serial interests me. Do you mean motion-picture requests or do you handle an outlet for magazine-serials also? I didn't know that. Let me know which it is.
You don't have to buy copies of BLACK ANGEL, of course; that's nonsense. I'll send them on as soon as I have them myself. Queried them about it yesterday, and something evidently held them up. I have asked Lippincott to return PHANTOM contract and will forward it as soon as received. I originally explained you wished it back. Try to get me some money.” Woolrich adds in his own hand: “Quite some!” In fine condition. Woolrich appears to be referencing Phantom Lady, his 1942 crime novel written under the pen name ‘William Irish.’ It is the first novel Woolrich published under the pseudonym.
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