[35A School St., Andover, Mass.]

T. S.Eliot
EmilyHale
TS
19 Carlyle Mansions
9 October 1953
My Dear,

It is a very long time since I have written you a letter: and since my return from America I don’t think I have written to anyone there (except bread-and-butter and of course business). And I have not heard from you. I hope, by the way, that you got my radio. You were down in my diary as sailing on the 16th – in fact, the word ‘Caronia’ is in your handwriting – so I was surprised when my wire to the ship at Southampton was returned. I sent a message to the ship. Andtravels, trips and plansTSE's 1953 visit to Geneva;i3;a2 I wrote several postcards from Geneva. ThatClements, thein Geneva;a8, by the way, was a most successful fortnight’s holiday, spent with the Clements, their daughter-in-law, and the two very likeable grand-children. Eating, Sleeping, Walking, and excursions to the Canton de Vaud to eat in little inns and prowl among the fields and forests. Beautiful weather; and I managed to escape the notice of all the people (Intellectuals) who had assembled in Geneva for a Culture Congress (subject: ‘Anguish in the Modern World’). ILyric Theatre, Londonproduction of The Confidential Clerk;a1 got back just theConfidential Clerk, The1953 Lyric Theatre production;b3first night;a1 day before the First Night at the Lyric: which went off very well indeed: after Edinburgh and Newcastle the cast were all at the top [of] their form, confident of themselves and their ability to control the audience, and working beautifully together. JacobEpstein, Jacoband family at Confidential Clerk premiere;b3 Epstein and family in the opposite box. I gave a dinner party to the cast afterwards – a small party of 18, including husbands and wives and one fiancée – they seemed to enjoy it – wrote me nice letters afterwards. ILeighton, Margaretversus Isabel Jeans;a4 gather that the cast get on very well, noJeans, Isabelversus Margaret Leighton in Confidential Clerk;a1 jealousy visible between Margaret Leighton & Isabel Jeans. (Isabel J. has in her dressing room (Margaret L. agreed amiably that I.J. should have the best dressing room, as the elder woman) large photographs of (1) a Bishop (2) a jockey. I thought that the former had been exposed for my benefit, butSykes, Christopher;a1 Christopher Sykes reports that he visited her on a later occasion and also noticed it – I think she told me that the Bishop was her godfather. TheHayward, Johnarranges Confidential Clerk cast dinner;n9 dinner had been well organised for me by John Hayward, while I was away; it cost £114! and flowers for the three ladies, there and in Edinburgh, cost about £20, but that can all be counted as Expenses Necessary). After this, I felt as exhausted (I got into bed at 2.55 a.m.) as if I had never had the holiday in Geneva. And since then I have been very busy with Arrears; withLaw, Richard;a1 preparing an'Literature';a1 Iron Curtain Broadcast of 10 minutes for a series arranged by Richard Law;1 and now, with 12 ‘blurbs[’] to write, andNational Book League;a1 with the'Three Voices of Poetry, The'undertaken to oblige GCF;a1 preparation of a Lecture on Poetry for the National Book League to be delivered in November.2 DoFaber, Geoffreyand National Book League;l4 not blame me for doing the latter: it was [to] oblige Geoffrey Faber, who was the inventor of this ‘N.B.L.’ and to whom it is dear.3

TheSherek, HenryAmerican Confidential Clerk production;b3 otherConfidential Clerk, The1954 American production;b4Sherek to negotiate;a1 piece of news is (apart from the fact that the house is playing to full capacity) that Henry Sherek is off to New York to try to persuade Equity to let him take over an English company. (He has secured a theatre, 45th Street). Maurice Evans tells him he won’t succeed. Failing that, he proposes to organise a company on the spot (cuttingMiller, Gilbert;a8 out Gilbert Miller, who, as you know, is not brilliant at casting) to start as soon as may be.

For other items, and the rest of this letter, I see that I must take another Air Letter form, or simply write a letter (as I should have done if I had realised that this chronicle would take up so much space). So I trust that you will have received the air letters by the same mail, and that you will read them in the proper order.

Lovingly
Tom

1.RichardLaw, Richard Law, PC (1901–80): Conservative Party politician, representing the constituency of Haltemprice, Yorkshire, 1950–4; he was Minister of Education from 1945, and raised to the peerage as 1st Baron Coleraine in 1954.

TSE’s untitled talk, editorially headed ‘Literature: talk by T. S. Eliot’, was recorded on 12 Oct. 1953 and broadcast on the BBC European Service on 13 Oct., as the sixth in a series on ‘The Unity of European Culture’; rebroadcast on the Third Programme on 2 Feb. 1954. First printed in The Unity of European Culture: A Series of Broadcasts Given over the B.B.C. Foreign Service July to October 1953 (London: BBC, 1953), 19–21. See ‘Literature [The Unity of European Literature]’: CProse 7, 812–16.

2.‘The Three Voices of Poetry’: the eleventh Annual Lecture of the National Book League, delivered at the Central Hall, Westminster, on 19 Nov. 1953: see CProse 7, 817–33.

3.Geoffrey Faber was Chairman of the National Book League, 1945–7.

Clements, the, their marriage, take TSE to hockey match, at the movies with TSE, send TSE food, in Geneva,
Confidential Clerk, The, first sketches towards, intended for 1952 Edinburgh Festival, being written, draft complete, which TSE rewrites, now intended for 1953 Edinburgh Festival, and Sherek's lordly conduct, EVE typing up, TSE finalising, 1953 Edinburgh production, negotiations over, casting for, may prompt further revision, stage-sets for, EH's ticket arranged for, dress rehearsal, 1953 Lyric Theatre production, first night, full house, soon to come off, 1954 American production, Sherek to negotiate, schedule for, EH encouraged to report on, reception, 1954 Paris International Theatre Festival production, reception, 1954 Ruhrfestspiele production, reception, 1954 post-Paris English touring production, Muriel Spark on, EH requests signed copy of,
Epstein, Jacob, TSE sitting for, good company, and family at Confidential Clerk premiere,

1.JacobEpstein, Jacob Epstein (1880–1959), American sculptor championed by Ezra Pound and Wyndham Lewis; naturalised British subject from 1907. He designed the tomb of Oscar Wilde in Père Lachaise, and his Rock-Drill was sculpted during his Vorticist period.

Faber, Geoffrey, made TSE's literary executor, described for EH, as friend, overawed by Joyce, recounts the Eliots' dinner-party, discusses international situation with TSE, his annual effort to diet, introduced to TSE by Whibley, favours TSE taking Norton Professorship, suggests garden-party for TSE, mislays key to Hale correspondence, writes to TSE about separation, which he helps TSE over, blesses Scotland tour with whisky, victim of Holmesian prank, favours 'The Archbishop Murder Case', Times articles on Newman, Russell Square proclaims his gentlemanly standards, forgives TSE and Morley's prank, as tennis-player, champion of Haig biography, social insecurities, and the Faber family fortune, advertises 'Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats', at lavish lunch for Dukes, relieved that 'Work in Progress' progresses, and JDH, needs persuading over Nightwood, on Edward VIII's abdication, Old Buffer's Dinner for, wins at Monopoly, and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, thrilled by complimentary tickets, The Family Reunion described to, in line to read Family Reunion, has mumps, composes Alcaics from sickbed, at TSE and JDH's dinner, shares EH's Family Reunion criticism, on TSE's dinner-party bearing, discusses F&F's wartime plans, on meeting Ralph Hodgson, asks TSE to stay on during war, takes TSE to Oxford, argues with Major-General Swinton, and Purchase Tax exertions, and Literary Society membership, TSE's wartime intimacy with, drops teeth on beach, offers criticisms of 'Rudyard Kipling', falsely promised Literary Society membership, but eventually elected, helps revise TSE's Classical Association address, reports to Conversative Education Committee, deputed to America on publishing business, returned from America, Ada too ill to see, discusses National Service on BBC, depended on for breakfast, as fire-watching companion, and TSE rearrange attic at 23 Russell Square, recommends blind masseuse to TSE, in nursing home, and the Spender–Campbell spat, on TSE's Order of Merit, approached for essay on TSE, seeks to protect TSE's serenity, as Captain Kidd, wins fancy-dress prize, TSE's trip to Spain with, and National Book League, receives knighthood, on TSE's paroxysmal tachycardia, dies, his death,
see also Fabers, the

11.GeoffreyFaber, Geoffrey Faber (1889–1961), publisher and poet: see Biographical Register.

Hayward, John, in TSE's thumbnail description, his condition and character, what TSE represents to, VHE complains about TSE to, TSE's new chess-playing neighbour, meets EH over tea, hosts TSE, GCF and de la Mare, on EH, on EH (to TSE), gives TSE cigars for Christmas, calls EH TSE's 'sister', and the Dobrées on Boxing Day, and TSE play a prank on guests, backstage at The Times, taken for walk, on Jenny de Margerie, Empson, TSE and Sansoms call on, evening with Spender, Jennings and, exchanges Christmas presents with TSE, exchanges rare books with TSE, sends luxuries to convalescent TSE, TSE's only regular acquaintance, dines with TSE and Camerons, lent Williams's Cranmer, accompanied to the Fabers' party, hosts discussion about Parisian Murder, inspects French translation of Murder, and TSE's Old Buffers' Dinner, gives TSE bath-mitts, given wine for Christmas, one of TSE's dependents, at Savile Club Murder dinner, Empson takes TSE on to see, possible housemate, in second line of play-readers, walked round Earl's Court, and Bradfield Greek play, and TSE drive to Tandys, and TSE give another party, corrects TSE's Anabase translation, watches television with TSE, Christmas Day with, introduced to Djuna Barnes, meets Christina Morley, walk round Brompton Cemetery with, Hyde Park excursion with, moving house, at his birthday-party, honoured at F&F, displaced to the Rothschilds, where TSE visits him, among TSE's closest friends, his conversation missed, the prospect of Christmas without, excursions to Cambridge to visit, 'my best critic', gives TSE American toilet-paper, helps TSE finish Little Gidding, possible post-war housemate, protector of TSE's literary remains, foreseeably at Merton Hall, discusses plays with TSE, flat-hunting with, and Carlyle Mansions, his furniture, installed at Carlyle Mansions, further handicapped without telephone, undermines TSE's aura of poetic facility, irritates except in small doses, helps with adjustment of TSE's OM medal, at the Brighton Cocktail Party, hounded by Time, quid pro quo with TSE, arranges first-night party for Cocktail Party, arranges Confidential Clerk cast dinner, and TSE's Selected Prose, and TSE entertained by Yehudi Menuhin,

11.JohnHayward, John Davy Hayward (1905–65), editor and critic: see Biographical Register.

Jeans, Isabel, versus Margaret Leighton in Confidential Clerk, in subsequent touring production,
Law, Richard,

1.RichardLaw, Richard Law, PC (1901–80): Conservative Party politician, representing the constituency of Haltemprice, Yorkshire, 1950–4; he was Minister of Education from 1945, and raised to the peerage as 1st Baron Coleraine in 1954.

Leighton, Margaret, compared to Irene Worth in Cocktail Party, as Celia, in The Confidential Clerk, versus Isabel Jeans, leaving The Confidential Clerk,

2.MargaretLeighton, Margaret Leighton (1922–76): British stage and film actor whose credits included roles in Henry IV (1946), with Laurence Olivier and Ralph Richardson; and The Winslow Boy (1948). For The Go-Between (1971), she was to win a BAFTA and an Academy Award. TSE to Polly Tandy, 10 Aug. 1953: ‘The rehearsals are going well: the females in the cast – Margaret Leighton, Isabel Jeans, and Alison Leggat – are all well cast for their parts, and I seem to be able to judge the female actresses more quickly than the male actors – partly, perhaps, because I seem for some reason to be better at writing the female roles than the male.’

'Literature',
Lyric Theatre, London, production of The Confidential Clerk,
Miller, Gilbert, possible force behind Murder's transfer, negotiating Cocktail Party's transfer, repels TSE, knows the wrong sort of duke, bumps into TSE in Spain,

5.GilbertMiller, Gilbert Miller (1884–1969); American theatrical producer. In 1950 he was to win a Tony Award for his production of The Cocktail Party. The Gilbert Miller–Ashley Dukes production of Murder in the Cathedral (with Miller taking a quarter-share in the enterprise, and Dukes three-quarters to secure artistic control), starring Robert Speaight, was to open at the Ritz Theatre, West 48th Street, New York City, on 16 Feb. 1938. It ran for 21 performances.

National Book League,
Sherek, Henry, dissuades TSE from coaching actors, confounds TSE's expectations, recommends New York Cocktail Party transfer, suffers girth-induced sciatica, desires three TSE plays in repertory, which TSE resists, lordly behaviour over Confidential Clerk, American Confidential Clerk production, takes Confidential Clerk to Paris, which proves a misadventure,
see also Shereks, the

4.HenrySherek, Henry Sherek (1900–1967), theatre producer: see Biographical Register.

Sykes, Christopher,
see also Sykeses, the

4.ChristopherSykes, Christopher Sykes (1907–86), author and journalist; friend of Robert Byron (author of The Road to Oxiana; he and Sykes were travelling companions) and Evelyn Waugh. Having passed an active war in the Special Operations Executive and Special Air Service, he worked in BBC Radio and lived with his wife, Camilla Georgiana and family in Chelsea, not far from TSE and Hayward. Works include Four Studies in Loyalty (1946); Nancy: The Life of Lady Astor (1972); Evelyn Waugh: A Biography (1975).

'Three Voices of Poetry, The', undertaken to oblige GCF, 'slight',
travels, trips and plans, EH's 1930 trip to England, EH's proposed 1931 England visit, called off, EH's 1932 summer holidays, the Eliots' Derby Day excursion, related, the Eliots' July 1932 Hindhead visit, the Eliots' August 1932 Eastbourne holiday, described, TSE's 1932–3 year in America, Norton Professorship offered to TSE, and the prospect of reunion with EH, which TSE refuses to see as decisive, which angers EH, who writes and destroys a response, TSE's financial imperatives, TSE's itinerary, and the question of discretion, opportunity for adventurous lecture-tours, TSE speculates on attendant feelings, TSE on the voyage over, TSE reflects on, TSE's return from, the Eliot family's Randolph holiday, TSE's 1933 westward tour to Scripps, proposed to EH, and TSE's need to lecture, possibly via St. Louis, TSE's itinerary, possible stopover in Seattle, a shameful source of happiness, still a happy thought, described by Havens and others, TSE reflects on, TSE's return from, TSE wonders at after-effect on EH, EH urged to reflect honestly on, Ada on, and a conversation about divorce, in EH's recollection, possible EH 1933 summer in England, TSE's 1933 Faber summer holiday, set for mid-August, postponed, rearranged, TSE buys summer outfits for, described, TSE's 1933 tour of Scotland, possible itinerary, Morley's preparations for, described for EH, TSE's 1933 trip to Paris, mooted, described, EH's 1934–5 year in Europe, TSE delighted at the prospect, attempts to coordinate with TSE's 1934 summer plans, the Perkinses due in Chipping Camden, EH's itinerary, TSE's initial weekend at Chipping Campden, TSE books rooms in Lechlade, TSE visits Campden again with family, and again alone, which visit TSE reflects on, TSE's plans to entertain EH en route to Europe, EH's continental itinerary, VHE and propriety inhibit pre-Paris arrangements, L'Escargot lunch, weekend in Sussex for EH's birthday, possible London tea-party, second lunch at L'Escargot, EH and TSE's November excursions, a month which TSE reflects happily on, EH's summer 1935 plans, EH departs England, EH in Florence, arrived in Rome, TSE coordinating with EH's return, TSE recommends Siena, EH returns to Florence, EH sails for Riviera, EH returns from France, L'Escargot lunch on EH's return, EH sails for Guernsey, May 1935, EH's June 1935 London sortie, TSE attends Dr Perkins's birthday, TSE's July 1935 Campden week, TSE offers to fund EH in London, where EH joins Jeanie McPherrin, TSE's Campden birthday weekend, prospect of EH spending month at Blomfield Terrace, Thorp theatre outing, TSE's 6–8 September Campden weekend, EH staying at 19 Rosary Gardens, EH to Campden for 15–17 November, EH sails for Boston, EH and TSE's final farewell, TSE and EH's final weeks in London, their excursion to Finchampstead, TSE reflects on, excursion to Greenwich, EH reflects on the final weeks of, TSE's 1934 Faber summer holiday, described, TSE's dream of Cairo, TSE's invitation to Finland, palmed off on Robert Nichols, TSE's 1935 tour of Scotland, proposed by Blake, attempts to coordinate with EH, TSE's itinerary, TSE's 1935 Faber summer holiday, TSE writes from, described, TSE's 1936 visit to Ireland, TSE's itinerary, recounted, TSE's spring/summer 1936 trip to Paris, first contemplated, date fixed, Morleys invited, TSE's itinerary, recounted, TSE's 1936 Faber summer holiday, TSE writes from, TSE's 1936 American trip, spring arrival dependent on New York Murder, if not spring, then autumn, possible excursions, autumn better for seeing EH, and possible Princeton offer, and possible Smith visit, efforts to coordinate with EH, passage on Alaunia booked, TSE's itinerary, Murder to pay for, coordinating with Eliot Randolph holiday, the moment of parting from EH, TSE's birthday during, TSE reflects on, TSE's 1937 tour of Scotland, itinerary, recounted, the Morley–Eliot 1937 trip to Salzburg, contemplated, itinerary, EH receives postcard from, described, as relayed to OM, EH's 1937 summer in England, and Mrs Seaverns, EH accompanies TSE to Edinburgh, itinerary coordinated with EH, dinner at L'Escargot, TSE's 10–11 July Campden visit, TSE's 17–22 July Campden visit, TSE's 21 August Campden visit, EH travels to Yorkshire, TSE reminisces about, TSE's 1937 Faber summer holiday, TSE reports from, leaves TSE sunburnt, TSE's 1938 trip to Lisbon, outlined to EH, TSE advised on, travel arrangements, the voyage out, described, EH's 1938 summer in England, and whether EH should spend it at Campden, EH's arrival confirmed, TSE's July Campden visit, EH's late-July London stay, TSE's 5–21 August Campden fortnight, TSE's 3–6 September Campden visit, EH's September London stay, TSE reflects on, TSE's 1938 Faber summer holiday, TSE's preparations for, TSE reports from, possible EH England Christmas 1938 visit, possible TSE 1939 visit to America, mooted for spring, complicated by Marion and Dodo's trip, shifted to autumn, threatened by war, made impossible, EH's 1939 England visit, TSE's efforts to coordinate with, threatened by war, complicated by Marion's arrival, EH's itinerary, EH's initial London stay, TSE's 7–20 July Campden visit, TSE's 22–30 August Campden visit, TSE's 2–4 September Campden visit, EH again London, EH and TSE's parting moments, in TSE's memory, memory vitiated by EH's subsequent letter, TSE's 1939 Faber summer holiday, TSE writes from, possible wartime transatlantic crossings, contingencies, in case of EH being ill, TSE's reasons for and against, and TSE's New York proposition, following invasion Denmark and Norway, impossible for TSE unless official, TSE's desire to remain in England, TSE's reasons for and against accepting lectureship, given Ada's impending death, TSE's abortive 1940 Italian mission, possible but confidential, lectures prepared for, and the prospect of seeing EP, might include Paris, itinerary, in jeopardy, final preparations for, cancelled, TSE's 1940 visit to Dublin, approved by Foreign Office, in national interest, itinerary, recounted, involves TSE's first plane-journey, TSE's 1940 Faber summer holiday, TSE reports from, TSE's 1941 Faber summer holiday, Kipling and fishing-rod packed for, TSE reports from, TSE's 1941 Northern tour, proposed by the Christendom group, arranged with Demant, itinerary, recounted, TSE's 1942 British Council mission to Sweden, TSE makes cryptic allusion to, as recounted to EH, as recounted to JDH, return leg in London, as war-work, TSE's 1942 New Forest holiday, described, TSE's 1942 week in Scotland, recounted, TSE's abortive 1942 Iceland mission, TSE's 1943 trip to Edinburgh, recounted, TSE's abortive 1943 Iceland mission, TSE's 1943 New Forest holiday, TSE's 1944 trip to Edinburgh, TSE's abortive 1944 North Africa mission, TSE's May 1945 trip to Paris, described, TSE's June 1945 trip to Paris, recounted, possible post-war American visit, and Henry's impending death, ideally ancillary to work, possibly as F&F's representative, waits on TSE's health and Carlyle Mansions, TSE's 1945 September fortnight in Lee, described, TSE's 1945 Christmas in Lee, described, TSE's 1946 summer in America, date for passage fixed, paperwork for, TSE's itinerary, its aftermath, recounted, TSE's 1947 summer in America, dependent on lecture engagements, TSE seeks to bring forward, Henry's condition brings further forward, set for April, itinerary, EH reflects on, TSE's scheduled December 1947 visit to Marseilles and Rome, itinerary, TSE's preparations for, dreaded, Roman leg described by Roger Hinks, EH's hypothetical March 1948 visit to England, TSE's postponed 1948 trip to Aix, itinerary, recounted, home via Paris, TSE's 1948 trip to America, itinerary, TSE's visit to EH in Andover, disrupted by Nobel Prize, TSE's 1948 Nobel Prize visit to Stockholm, itinerary, recounted, TSE's 1949 family motor-tour of Scotland, described, TSE's October–November 1949 trip to Germany, possible itinerary, preparations for, final itinerary, TSE's account of, the return via Belgium, TSE's January 1950 voyage to South Africa, all but fixed, itinerary, described by TSE, recounted by Faber, EH's 1950 summer in England, TSE books EH's hotel room for, TSE's efforts to coordinate with EH's movements, EH in Campden, TSE reports to Aunt Edith on, TSE's 1950 visit to America, and TSE's possible Chicago post, the Chicago leg, November itinerary, TSE's spring 1951 trip to Spain, itinerary, recounted, TSE's September 1951 Geneva stay, itinerary, recounted, TSE's 1951 British Council mission to Paris, recounted, TSE's second 1951 British Council mission to Paris, recounted, TSE's 1952 visit to Rennes and the Riviera, itinerary, recounted, TSE's 1952 visit to America, itinerary, efforts to coordinate with EH's summer, TSE on meeting with EH, TSE's 1952 rest cure in Switzerland, TSE's 1953 visit to St. Louis and America, set for June, to include fortnight in Cambridge, itinerary, EH's 1953 trip to England, EH's Alnwick plans, TSE books hotel for EH, and EH's ticket to Confidential Clerk, TSE's 1953 visit to Geneva, TSE's 1953–4 trip to South Africa, itinerary, described, arrival described to JDH, GCF on, TSE's 1954 Geneva rest cure, Geneva preferred to Paris, TSE's deferred 1955 visit to Hamburg, prospect inspires reluctance in TSE, proposed for spring 1955, dreaded, TSE now returned from, TSE's 1955 visit to America, and contingent speaking engagements, foreshortened, itinerary, Washington described, TSE's return from, TSE's 1955 Geneva rest cure, TSE's 1956 visit to America, passage fixed for April, itinerary, TSE in the midst of, TSE reflects on, TSE's 1956 Geneva rest cure, itinerary, recounted, illness during, EH's 1957 visit to England, TSE and EVE invited to Campden, TSE reciprocates with London invitation, but EH leaves England abruptly, which TSE consults Eleanor Hinkley over, who duly explains, TSE and EVE's 1958 trip to America, as rumoured to EH, EH's 1959 tour of Scandinavia, funded by bequest from cousin, TSE and EVE's 1959 trip to America, TSE and EVE's 1963 trip to America,