ALS signed “John,” one page, 6.25 x 7, no date. Letter to editor Pascal Covici, in part: “I’m called out to a dinner I cannot avoid. I’ll be back as soon as I can but I don’t know how soon that will be. I hope very early. You have been very patient with me. If you wish—will you call Wallenstein in 153 who will give you a drink and be nice to you until I return? If you do not want to do that, the clerk will give you my key. You will find a bottle of gin and a syphon. Have some and I will come back as soon as I can. You can have a nap. If, thoroughly disgusted, you go away, I shall be very sad.” In very good condition.
Yet to break into the literary mainstream, Steinbeck signed with Covici’s New York-based publishing house and found almost immediate success with works like Tortilla Flat and Of Mice and Men. The strong working relationship between Steinbeck and Covici transitioned to Viking Press in 1938, and was rewarded when The Grapes of Wrath won the 1940 Pulitzer Prize. Given their well-documented relationship—Steinbeck dedicated East of Eden to Covici—this insightful letter offers a rare glimpse into the rapport between author and editor. Pre-certified PSA/DNA.
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