American edition:
John Farrar, New York, 15 March 1933.
1932
From Milton Abernethy, 20 April 1932
YCAL 43, 9/438
Dear E P:
I’ve just heard from Farrar and Rinehart the best young publisher here.... and John Farrar says if I will send him a copy of your XXX Cantos... that he will personally take the matter and let me know immediately. If you will send a copy of I will post it to him, etc.
From Archibald MacLeish, 20 May 1932
YCAL 43, 32/1328
Cantos sold farrar rinehart after conversation [milton] abernethy fall publication at straight fifteen percent royalty please cable confirmation care […] New York
From Archibald MacLeish, n.d. [3 June 1932]
YCAL 43, 32/1328
Farrar has just called up to say that your agent reached him and that the contract for the Cantos has gone through as per cable plus an advance. I can’t tell you how delighted I am about the whole thing. American publishers are such goddam fools in general. But Farrar and his man Nash saw the light at once and when I timidly said they ought at least to give you ten, twelve and a half an fifteen they replied they would give you fifteen and be proud to do it.
I was afraid you might think my wire officious as you had never authorized me to act for you. But when Abernethy came in and told me the situation I decided I’d take that risk. Its more important that the Cantos be published in a form we can afford to buy than that you think well of my intervention.
[…]
You can take some confort in the fact that you are making the reputation of a publishing house at the same time that you are making whatever small amt of dough a great poet gets while on this ball of whatever.
From Milton Abernethy, 2 June 1932
YCAL 43, 9/438
Dear Daddy Pound::::
I feel such a fool….. from your letter long ago I gathered that there was none to look after your book here, so I went to New York, much earlier in the year than I intended to, and bothered the hell out of Macleish and John Farrar, and bought a copy of the Cantos at bookstore price, and presented it to Farrar.
And now from your note to Macleish, you sound me out as a negligible upstart, who, from human kindness need not be mentioned. At least that’s the way Macleish will take it and I don’t want him to think I was poaching on your damn agents preserves, which I wasn’t in view of fact that I didn’t know you had a damnagent...being just a country boy.
From Virginia Rice, 3 June 1932
YCAL 43 44/1889
Dear Mr. Pound: –
I’ve arranged everything with Farrar and Rinehart, and you need have no fears about that firm. They have money, have those lads! […] They’re mad about your Cantos and are taking them on your terms, bankruptcy clause and all. I ought to have the contract for you next week. I accepted for you, and I’m sure you’ll be pleased. They are paying a straight 15% royalty – and an advance of $150 on signature of contract, an almost unheard of thing with poetry – also accrued royalties on publication.
They may cable you to send the lead blocks – and they may follow Liveright’s edition of PERSONAE.
This is my first sale under my own name. Thank you! I’m sure you’ll find John Farrar a delightful person to deal with and I know the contract will be as you want it.
From Virginia Rice, 1 July 1932
YCAL 43 44/1889
Dear Ezra Pound: –
I am waiting for the return of the contract, and when it comes back I can assure you I will have the check for $150 for you.
[…]
The contract just arrived. Thanks. I will send it to John Farrar at once.
From Virginia Rice, 5 August 1932
YCAL 43 44/1889
Dear E.P. –
By this time you have my letter, with check enclosed.
[…]
I believe Farrar intends publishing the CANTOS about November. I’m sorry to say that a review of them (evidently there are copies of the Hours Edition around here) came out in The New Yorker. I hope it doesn’t steal any of the Farrar and Rinehart fire. And by the way, do you want to copyright the book, so that my English agent can try to sell a trade edition in England and on the continent? The copyright fee is $1.90, and I would have to send eight copies abroad which you would pay for, whosale price. Inasmuch as it has already been published abroad in the Hours Press edition, I thought you might not want to bother. But I’ll be delighted to attend to it, when the time comes if you just say the word.
From Virginia Rice, 18 August 1932
YCAL 43 44/1889
Dear Ezra Pound: –
You’ll be hearing from Farrar & Rinehart. They would like to postpone the publication of XXX CANTOS until January, so that they can get in all the Ford Maddox Ford publicity. I told them that I thought you would be quite willing.
From Virginia Rice, 9 September 1932
YCAL 43 44/1889
Dear E.P.: –
As soon as your letter arrived, I phoned Farrar to say that it would be all right to publish your Cantos in January.
To Olga Rudge, [9 November 1932]
YCAL 54 13/325
Ziao, cara’mure
[…]
Farrar gone an’ plated XXX without sending me proofs, but say’s he give it “certified” proof readin’ ... etc ...
From Virginia Rice, 16 February 1933
YCAL 43 44/1889
Dear Ezra Pound:
Under separate cover I am sending you your six complimentary copies of CANTOS. Don’t you think Farrar & Rinehart have done a swell job? I like the book immensely.
From Virginia Rice, 24 February 1933
YCAL 43 44/1889
Dear Ezra Pound:
Yes, Farrar is getting on with the CANTOS. In fact they will be out on March 14th.
[…]
Did you receive the six copies of the Cantos that I sent you?
From Virginia Rice, 31 March 1933
YCAL 43 44/1889
Dear Ezra Pound:
[…]
As you may remember, I wrote you that Farrar & Rinehart wanted us to hold off on your work for a while, until they could see how the CANTOS were going.
[…]
Now that I have started with Farrar & Rinehart, I would like to go on with them. By the way, the CANTOS have had an excellent press, but the bank holidays interfered materially with the sales. I’m sure the sales will pick up after a while.
[…]
What shall I do with the blocks that Farrar & Rinehart were unable to use? They take up an awful lot of room.
