GEORGE MILBURN - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 02/22/1936 - HFSID 283920
Sale Price $250.00
Reg. $320.00
GEORGE MILBURN
Typed Letter signed to Charles Miles at the University of Oklahoma,
discussing a planned trip to meet publishers in New York (1936), with a
concluding paragraph handwritten by Milburn
Typed Letter signed: "George", 1p. 8½x11. Pineville, Missouri, 1936
February 22. To "Dear Charlie" , in full: "I was glad to
get your letter. I am trying to rustle some more manuscripts and I think
possibly I'll have a few to send on within a week or so. There is a whole batch
at Vanity Fair which I am unable to get because that magazine has
consolidated with vogue and the editors I know are no longer there. But I'll get
those at Collier's and two or three from various other sources. These
will come on to you as soon as I can get them. Your $2.50 price on 'Oklahoma
Town' is fair enough; as a matter of fact if I were you I'd ask $5 for those
copies I autographed for you. I have had perhaps a half-a-dozen inquiries about
the book since I've been over here and I've simply referred them to you. I
wanted those two copies I ordered to give to a couple of fellow writers who have
been exceedingly nice to me and who were exceedingly anxious to own the books. I
haven't got a single extra copy myself and nothing would please me more than to
have about a dozen copies laid by - although these things do seem to go pretty
fast as gifts when they are so handy. This suggestion about my going East with
you next Spring hits the right spot. I'd give anything to make the trip, but
whether I could go is of course somewhat dependent on my financial condition at
the time. I expect to have my book finished about the middle of April and it
would be very advantageous to me if I could take the manuscript to New York and
deliver it personally. There is at least one trick clause in my contract (which
allows me only a flat royalty of 10%!) that could be straightened out much more
easily by my appearance in person than by letter. And if it can't be I may avail
myself of some very flattering offers from other publishers. Some day soon send
me a note giving me some more details. About what date do you plan to start?
(I'd aim at that in getting my book finished.) Will J. L. Rader be along? I hope
so, because I have always wanted to know him more intimately than I did at
Norman; he has always impressed me as an interesting and admirable person. Could
you come by here, or would you prefer to have me meet you at some point along
the way? Pineville would be just a comfortable day's drive from Norman. If you
started about 7 in the morning you'd get here in the middle of the afternoon
with time enough to take in the beauties of this place; we can accommodate three
heads at least; and you could get an early start the next morning. It wouldn't
be much more than ten miles out of your way, if that much. This is on a straight
SW-NE diagonal with Norman and would simply leave out Joplin to route you
through Springfield & St Louis. Let me know. [Handwritten paragraph
follows.] I could of course meet you at any point on your way near here,
but I honestly believe you'd enjoy this town more. I could mark the miss so you
can't miss it. I'm all hepped up over the idea - as much for the company as for
the trip. Yours". Normal mailing fold creases. Lightly toned. Otherwise,
fine condition. Accompanied by original mailing envelope (6½x3½) with
typed address of Charles Miles, Book Exchange, University of Oklahoma, Norman,
Oklahoma, postmarked Pineville, Missouri, February 23, 1936. Edges soiled and
worn. George Milburn (1916-1966) dropped out of college in 1925,
drawn to the road and living for a time in Chicago and New Orleans and working
at a variety of jobs. In 1929 he enrolled at the University of Oklahoma, married
soon after, and published The Hobo's Hornbook (1930), a collection of
hobo ballads and lore picked up on the road. Soon called "the Hobo
Poet," he drew praise from H. L. Mencken and others, and was soon publishing
stories in The New Yorker, The Saturday Evening Post and
Harper's, as well as the magazines he mentions in this letter. Two
volumes of short stories followed: Oklahoma Town (1931) and No More
Trumpets (1933). These books contained often unflattering images of the
Oklahoma of his youth. His first novel, Catalogue followed in
1936, his last Julie, in 1956. In the 1940s he wrote scripts for
films and radio. Two items.
Following offer submission users will be contacted at their account email address within 48 hours. Our response will be to accept your offer, decline your offer or send you a final counteroffer. All offers can be viewed from within the "Offer Review" area of your HistoryForSale account. Please review the Make Offer Terms prior to making an offer.
If you have not received an offer acceptance or counter-offer email within 24-hours please check your spam/junk email folder.