Eavesdropping on the Dead Authors' Guild Listserv.

(posted Thursday, July 30, 1998)

From: wharton@mount.com

To: henjam@msn.classic.com; listserv@deadauthorsguild.org

Cc:

Re: Joyce--or, better, don't

CherMaître,

Saw Wings of the Dove last evening & was very impressed. So that was what it was all about! Your writing has no bigger fan than EW, but I must admit to finding some of the later novels a bit, shall we say, murky. Large & charming party at the Cineplex Odeon--the young Waldorf Astors, Mr. Balfour, Ld & Lady Elcho, Dcess of Manchester, Lady Essex, &c. &c. All seemed delighted but for poor Teddy, who ran screaming from the theater during the first reel--his nerves, no doubt. Miss Bonham Carter was splendid. She ought to play Lily Barth if The House of Mirth ever makes it out of turnaround. Is it true they're giving the Merchant-Ivory treatment to your Golden Bowl? Can't say I ever made it quite to the end of that one either.

Have you looked over the Modern Library list yet? As Scribner authors, neither of us is likely to find much favor in a list of books sold by Mr. Cerf. Still, I fear that to the younger generation we must represent the literary equivalent of tufted furniture and gas chandeliers. Ulysses, alas, is No. 1. Have you driven into this fog? It's a turgid welter of pornography (the rudest schoolboy kind) & uninformed & unimportant drivel. The ingredients of soup do not make soup without the cook's intervention. The same goes for Mr. Kerouac.

Your Devoted Edith

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