WILLIAM ROSE BENET - TYPED LETTER SIGNED - HFSID 298056

WILLIAM ROSE BENET
The author gives suggestions to a woman who wants to open a Brentano's bookshop in Harrisburg.
Typed Letter signed: "William Rose Benet", 1 page, 8½x9. Place and Date cut off from document at top right. Written to Miss Katherine F. Comstock, c/o Miss Marian Watts, New York, New York. In full: "Dear kitty: I have just received your letter of December 26th in which you wish to get a letter to somebody at Brentano's to whom you might talk concerning the opening of a bookshop in Harrisburg. I am only too glad to suggest anything I can, although I do not know anybody at Brentano's personally. I think the best thing for you to do would be to see Laurence Gomme who is in charge of the Neighborhood Bookshop at 435 Park Avenue, near 56th Street. Mr. Gomme started the first small bookstore in New York City and later was employed at Brentano's in their rare book department. He knows all about the small bookstore business and I know will be glad to talk over the whole matter with you and that you will find him very helpful. If you should then wish to see anybody at Brentano's, I am sure he can tell you just the proper person to see. I am enclosing a note to him for you to use, and I certainly wish success in your venture. If there is anything else I can do while you are in New York, please let me know. I am sure that the family would be glad to see you out at Scarsdale, if you can make it. Their telephone number I Scarsdale 175 W. Sincerely. William Rose Benet (1886-1950), the brother of poet Stephen Vincent Benet (1898-1943) and husband of poet and novelist Elinor Wylie (1885-1928), founded the "Saturday Review of Literature" (1924), editing it until his death. He was also an accomplished poet, winning the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry (1942) for "The Dust Which is God." The work, an autobiographical novel in verse, is full of allusions to the literary and social history of early 20th century America. Normal mailing folds. Irregularly cut at top edge (3x1½ piece missing from top right). Creased. Soiled. Toned. Minor nicks and tears at edges. Otherwise, fine condition.