Burrishoole
Newport
Co Mayo
27/6/39
Dear Tomás,
The rain has come at last and I have been definitely driven indoors. A long time now since I heard from you without a reply on my part, but my replies are not, unfortunately, governed by manners, feelings or duty. I find it hard to write and I'll have to get down to some regular system before this year is over.
The original query about pictures arose I think as to whether glass should be put on the frames or not.See O'Malley's letter of 1 May 1939.note Glass takes from the visibility of much painting but I expect it does preserve a work from dust. I had intended to glue paper over the backs of frames to keep out the dust; if I use such a backing can I then use glass in front? The works are not too good in winter. Helen is in trouble about her ikons as some have flaked a little, and, in a few, small worm holes have suddenly appeared. I read a book by (cant think of his name) last year on antidotes for worm holes, [p.1 verso]now I forget all about it. Is there anyone in Dublin she could bring her ikons to?
There has been a spell of fine warm weather during which there was a hole in my boat and State Papers to be read quickly: as a result I did not reap enough sun. But a few days of it burns the skin of my face arms and neck and I have to lay low. May is, I think, the best month here. The light is more gentle, softer on mountain and land structure. June light is hard, flat and low the evenings from 7 o'clock onwards are magical for then light slants low filling out the forms in a tender way. The land is then like a half-dream. Helen and I made a collection recently of bog-wood forms in the upper lake. We intend to mount some of them. They do not attain the sophisticated sublimity of Hans Arp's "Concretion Humane",In the 1930s Hans Arp executed a number of smooth biomorphic forms in marble, cast stone, and bronze entitled Human Concretion. Arp was quick in correcting art critics as to the nature of his sculptures; he insisted that his pieces were "concrete" rather than "abstract", since they occupied space, and that art was a natural generation of form, "a fruit that grows in man".note but they please us.
I haven't heard from Houghton Mifflin as yet.In his letter of 1 May 1939 O'Malley offered to contact Houghton Mifflin regarding the possible publication of MacGreevy's Jack B. Yeats: An Appreciation and Interpretation. Despite his efforts, O'Malley was not successful in interesting his publisher in the monograph.note I don't ever remember seeing a collection of illustrations of Jack Yeats' pictures. "Life in the West of Ireland" In 1912 Maunsel published one of Yeats's best-known publications, Life in the West of Ireland, an illustrated book of drawings and paintings, the majority of which date from a trip to Connemara and Mayo during the summer of 1905 in the company of JM Synge.note I have but they are gentle more interesting at times for character than for intrinsic merit. Between broadsides and ballad illustrations he could have another book. I expect you have photographs.
2 July.A boat came in from the islands while I was writing your letter and off I went to sail a lug sail and to visit people on five or six islands, to return yesterday.
[p.2 recto]Helen told me that you were writing about W.B.. I do not know if she confused W.B. with Jack.It was, in fact, the monograph on Jack B Yeats to which she was referring. note If you had a book on W.B. ready it would sell well here and especially in America. Hone is to do the official biography.Joseph Hone, a noted Dublin theatre critic, was commissioned by Yeats 's publisher Macmillan to write Yeats's biography. It was first published in 1943 under the title W.B. Yeats: 1865-1939. note He gets £1000 and Mrs Yeats gets the royalties. Lennox Robinson is also writing a short memoir.Published as Curtain Up in 1942 by Michael Joseph.note
Last night Sean O Faolain and Dr Collins called here. Sean is writing a guide book to Ireland.O'Faolain spent the summer of 1939 touring Ireland, sometimes in the company of the Irish painter Paul Henry, gathering material for a book on Ireland. He kept a journal, and in the autumn and winter used his notes to write An Irish Journey, which was published in London by Longmans, Green in 1940, with illustrations by Henry.note His stay in Connaught was two days: however, he knows the craft well enough to be able to write about anything. They talked about a paper to carry on the work of "The New Statesman."O'Faolian was the founding editor of The Bell, which began publication in 1940, and appeared as a monthly through December 1954, with a two and a half year hiatus between April 1948-November 1950 (O'Faolain edited it for six years, through April 1946). The journal was one of the most influential literary publications of its time.note I did not ask what was the idea behind it but F. Packingham (spelt wrongly, I fear) is behind it and is ready to put up some money.In fact, Joseph McGrath, a former Republican and government Minister, who became wealthy through his founding of the Irish Hospitals Sweepstakes, was the financial backer.note I'm sure you could do weekly art critiques. I'll suggest your name, if you wish as soon as I hear from O Faolain. Evidently the people concerned are going about the venture in a rather thorough way, slowly covering the ground. We need a paper here badly but I do not know the real reason behind it the motive or its direction: a purely literary paper does not appeal to me now.
Helen has worked hard at the garden. Flowers have come out to her satisfaction, and vegetables. Also a chicken house has been imported and some fowl. Here we find that we must produce our own food as far as [p.2 verso]possible otherwise food is worse than in the city. Cows and pigs are the next items but we have no land. In case of war we will have to be self-producing here or will be hungry. During the war years, theO'Malleys did, in fact, rent adjoining land so that they might be self sufficient. note
News again warlike. I'm sure England is in a complete frimble about it all. O Faolain tells me that many publishing houses in England will close down shortly and this American house will follow. So you had best come over before the deluge. Helen and I send affectionate regards.
Ernie
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