Creator
Walter H. Page
Recipient
John Muir
Preview
Transcription
-4-I am saying all these things only on the supposition that you have made no definite arrangement and are under no definite obligations to the Century Company. Your first book was naturally published by them because the articles which make it up were published in their magazine. Now they are publishing some of your present articles and we are publishing some of them in magazine form. If by reason of this we are on an equal footing with them--as I infer we are--pray read over again what I have written about book publication. If we are not on an equal footing and we can hope for no more than magazine publication of a part of your work, we shall be thankful for that and as much of that as possible, and we shall bear you no grudge if your books go elsewhere. But--but--but--the place for permanent additions to American literature is in the catalogue a copy of which I herewith send you--along with the other great additions to it.I send this letter to your home address to await your coming. When you are done withEDITORIAL OFFICE OFThe Atlantic Monthly,BOSTON.-3-The greatest single compact body of American literature of permanent value that exists anywhere is put forth by this firm. This single fact gives the firm an advantage that no other one has in putting writings which have sufficient merit first alongside of this compact mass of permanent literature and finally into it---thus bringing about not simply such a sale of a book as can be made so long as it is a new publication, but in addition thereto such a continual nurture of it as a piece of literature as will keep it alive as long as it has any vitality whatever. I believe that Mr. Burroughs, for instance, has found great benefit of this kind by reason of the publication of his works by Messrs. Houghton, Mifflin, and Company. I do not mean of course to make any comparisons, but I cannot help thinking it doubtful whether, if he had pursued a different course, he now would have the satisfaction of having a beautiful complete edition of his writings such as was issued by us last year.02340
Location
Boston
Date Original
1897-09-01T00:00:00
Source
Original letter dimensions: 21 x 27.5 cm.
Resource Identifier
muir09_1068-let.tif
File Identifier
Reel 09, Image 1068
Copyright Status
Copyright status unknown
Copyright Statement
Some letters written to John Muir may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Owning Institution
University of the Pacific Library Holt-Atherton Special Collections. Please contact this institution directly to obtain copies of the images or permission to publish or use them beyond educational purposes.
Page Number
Page 2
Keywords
John Muir, correspondence, letters, author, writing, naturalist, California, correspondent, mail, message, post, exchange of letters, missive, notes, epistle
