Letter from George Yeats to Thomas MacGreevy. 8 December 1926.
[p.1 recto]
82 Merrion Square
Dublin
Dec. 8 1926
My dear Tom.
Yes, I like them bothMacGreevy sends two poems, Reason and Romanticism and The High Plain of Ireland. Neither have been published.note; Willy thinks them obscure - I dont think I do. I like the plains of Ireland best.
I'm afraid as far as the Cuala Press is concerned there's no hope of Valery, but I am certain W. would gladly give you the introduction to Macmillan. I am not sure BennErnest JP Benn of the Ernest Benn Ltd publishing company.note wouldnt be better and now that he is affiliated to Fisher UnwinT. Fisher Unwin founded in 1882 by Thomas Fisher Unwin well known for introducing new authors.note W. could give you an introduction there as they publish one of his books.Yeats had contributed Ganconagh to the Pseudonym Library, and published his Poems with Unwin until 1921.note
Nothing has been happening here except work and work and work and the children alternately in bed! Michael is in bed now with something and a slight temperature but we dont quite know what... He just says he doesnt feel well, I hope he isnt sickening for something.
OedipusYeats's adaptation of Oedipus the King received its first production at the Abbey Theatre on 7 December 1926.note last night, a very fine production and performance. Arthur Shields of course thought Oedipus - McCormack - ought to have been all the things he wasnt - Shields is rather like that and gets more crabby as the years pass. Its a pity.
Fagan wants L.R. to go to London for the last rehearsal of Whiteheaded Boy and the first night. I dont know whether he will and dont say I repeated it! Rather good for him to get a whiff of London again.
NoraLennox Robinson's sister, Nora Dormannote turned up two days ago and came to Oedipus last night. She's really rather nice and so unlike Mrs!
I dont at all approve of your clandestine correspondence with my mother!
[p.2 recto]I wish to goodness you'd write a play. The plays coming in to the Abbey now are really too unspeakable.. There's a solemn play of Brinsley'sThe Master by novelist and playwright and former Abbey actor Brinsley Macnamara opened at the Abbey on 6 March 1928.note just in. I like the first act but havent read the rest yet. Lennox says he knew exactly what was going to happen after the middle of the first act, but I am not sure there isnt something to be said for that method. Anyway I feel the Abbey ought to do it if only to encourage Brinsley to stop writing vulgar comedies. It would really be rather dreadful if the Abbey collapsed, having got the audience, from lack of playrights. A so much worse death than financial failure through lack of audience.
Everything here is rather vile at the moment; at least there has been and is rather a wave of mental and moral dishonesty which sickens one. People like Professor Magennis starting new parties and calling themselves little Irelanders as an excuse for the worst philistinism.William Magennis, a Professor of Metaphysics at UCD, founded Clann Eireann in protest at the agreement on the Report of the Boundary Commission.note Vile vile vile. I begin to wonder if you are not right to leave English speaking countries!
George