Hemingway, Ernest

Autograph letter signed ("Hem"), 3 pages (10 5/8 x 8 1/4 in; 270 x 208 mm) on two sheets, with a line of text by Hemingway at the top of the fourth page, [Paris, n.d.], the original typed envelope (defective) with a postmarked date of 14 November 1924, to Ezra Pound in Rapallo; two tiny fold holes. 

Christie's,  8 November 1996, lot 29 (undesignated consignor) 

Not in Letters, ed. C. Baker; see "Ezra Pound and his Bel Esprit" in Hemingway's A Moveable Feast.

Autograph letter signed ("Hem"), 3 pages (10 5/8 x 8 1/4 in; 270 x 208 mm) on two sheets, with a line of text by Hemingway at the top of the fourth page, [Paris, n.d.], the original typed envelope (defective) with a postmarked date of 14 November 1924, to Ezra Pound in Rapallo; two tiny fold holes.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Paris in the twenties: Hemingway to Pound.  An outstanding and early letter to a good friend, literary mentor, and promoter of his work. It was Pound, for instance, who had convinced Ford Madox Ford to give the 24-year-old Hemingway an editorial job on the Transatlantic Review in the spring of 1924. Hemingway remained friends with Pound throughout his life, contributing to his defense fund during his insanity trial after World War II and helping him during his long stay at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington. Pound is the only Hemingway friend from the expatriate days to escape Hemingway's animosity in A Moveable Feast ("Ezra Pound was always a good friend and he was always doing things for people").

The young Hemingway writes: "Have greeted Miro. Claimed he was writing to you. Feels he owes all to you. Though what all amounts to so far is only a pimp of a dealer that may or may not sell the pitchers [sic]. At any rate he is paying Joan 1000 francs per ... I have bought [Miro's] The Farm. That may bring you back to Paris sometime to look at it ... I aint got any influence with 3 Mts [Three Mountains] Press. Bill [Bird, who had published Hemingway's second book, in our time, earlier in the year] carefully left it in hands of one Beede to prevent me doing just the kind of thing you asked me to ... No, I don't feel anybody will ever get the 2 [million?] from [Ernest] Walsh [publisher of This Quarter]. He is so tight you couldn't shove a piece of bird seed up his ass with a cold chisel. Still of course it isn't his money and he probably likes to give away other people's money if it's something he can't get himself." This is probably in reference to a $1,000 prize from the American literary quarterly Dial, which Walsh helped to edit. Walsh had told Hemingway that he had won the prize, but the writer discovered that Walsh had also told Joyce and others that they had won.

"Wedderkop and Flechtheim [of the German periodical Der Querschnitt which published several Hemingway poems] are in town. Flechtheim claims I'm Germany's only lyric poet ... Is publishing a 8,100 word bullfight story of mine ['The Undefeated'] that tight and hard as goat shit with drawings for it by Picasso ... claims to be going to publish a book of my poems with illustrations by Pascin. Have I got more obscene poems? For Christsake when did you give him that Lady Poet thing ['The Lady Poets with Foot Notes']? I could be jailed for that. Wants me to write a stier kampf [bull fight] book with him. He is an old aficionado. Drawings by Gris and Picasso photographs. Maybe some of all this will come true. He's sending me a check for the long story anyway ... Am working well now. Been soused every night with various people and I always work well under the influence of gastric remorse. If you like this horseshit I wrote about you for W's mag [his article 'Homage to Ezra' which would appear in the first issue, spring 1925, of This Quarter, which was dedicated to Pound]. I will give it to Budderschaft for his review [Der Querschnitt] on acct. of being simply statements it will translate well ... Reports from N.Y. are that Henry's [the artist Henry Slater] become Society portrait painter and trains with bunch of Arrow collar boys. Reports from States that my mother is painting life size portrait of me in oil ... Bill Smith, just arrived, says he has not seen the work but my mother asked him to come around in order that he might give her any suggestions on how I looked ..."

A vintage Hemingway letter in lovely condition and presumably unpublished.