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Sinclair reflects on meeting Russian revolutionary and philosopher Peter Kropotkin in 1913.

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Sinclair reflects on his financial well-being, and the swings in fortune he endured as a young author.

Scope and Contents Sinclair writes he has considered and accepted almost all of Kress's revisions to his World's End manuscript, the first book in the Lanny Budd series. He offers to help Kress find work in the literary field in New York City, suggesting he should seek out his "intimate friend" Fulton Oursler, "editor of Liberty and general manager of all the Macfadden publications." Oursler was an American journalist, playwright, author, and editor. He would go on to become the senior editor at Reader's...

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Sinclair reflects on his play, Marie Antoinette, and his novel, Our Lady, and informs Kress he has contacted Helen Woodward, pioneering advertising executive and author, on Kress's behalf.

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Sinclair relays Helen Woodward's reply. "I knew she would do her best. I fear that you and I do not realize how very bad conditions are in the literary market in New York." Sinclair mentions he will send Kress's manuscript on to Helen Woodward's husband, William E. Woodward, editor, publisher, and author to see if he has can offer any suggestions.

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Sinclair promises to write a letter of introduction for Kress to William E. Woodward, but admits having little "confidence that [his] opinion will count with anybody who has money to pay out under the profit system. . . ."

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Sinclair writes that he is "delighted" Kress finds chapters 22 and 23 of World's End"interesting," but notes it will be some time before he is able to send additional chapters, as he is wanting "to stop and make a thorough study of the peace negotiations."

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Sinclair gives literary advice to Kress about a sonnet he has written. He says, "you have something interesting and worthwhile to say, and some of your lines seem to me good," but then, with a hint of derision, questions Kress's vocabulary and concludes the entire piece "would need a lot of working over; and your last line needs another foot!"

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Sinclair writes he is working on the final revision of World's End and goes on to explain his attitude toward Russia after the invasion of Finland. He says Stalin has made a "dreadful blunder, because he has deprived the Soviet Union of what was its strong support in the eyes of liberals all over the world—the fact that it was standing for peace. . . ."

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Sinclair continues to discuss the Russian invasion of Finland. He describes the invasion as "identical with the Hitler technique" and regrets he defended Russia so "ardently," admitting his feelings mirror "the fellow whose best girl deserts him."

Scope and Contents Sinclair tells Kress the proofs of the first one-third of World's End will total 750 pages. He goes on to wish Kress "success with Heubsch," Kress's potential publisher. Benjamin Huebsch, president and editor at Viking Press, saw the potential of Sinclair's World's Endseries. Vanguard Press and Sinclair's longtime publisher, Farrar & Rinehart, passed on the chance to publish the series after lackluster sales of his previous books. Between 1940 and 1953, Viking Press would sell nearly...

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Sinclair agrees to "run through" Kress's manuscript and send it along to [Benjamin] Huebsch. Sinclair concludes the letter with mention that he has "happily started on Volume Two of the novel, which I am going to call Dragon's Teeth, and have about twenty-five pages. . . ." Dragon's Teeth would ultimately become the third volume in the World's Endseries, and be awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1943.

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Sinclair outlines the story of Marie, Madame de Bruyne, a character in the World's Endseries. He writes there is a "problem about the story," and requests Kress to "think this all over and tell me which seems to you the most interesting form of story."

Scope and Contents Sinclair admits he owes "several letters of thanks for your notes on the manuscript," but explains "I have been busy with my friend Martin Birnbaum who has just left. . . ." Martin Birnbaum, a longtime friend and classmate of Sinclair, was an international art dealer, critic and author, and was the inspiration for the character Lanny Budd, the hero of the World's End series. Sinclair goes on to write he cannot make the changes Kress has suggested as they are "too brutal" and would cause...

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Sinclair provides advice about an unspecified personal matter, saying "it made me sad because it indicated great unhappiness and more to come." His letter concludes in a humorous vein with a light-hearted account about swimming.

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Sinclair writes he is pleased Kress "likes the art-buying chapters" but says he will not change his treatment of Lanny and his carefree handling of large sums of money. He goes on to explain, this is because his friend and the inspiration for Lanny, Martin Birnbaum, "described to me many such transactions and he never mentioned having any guard."

Scope and Contents Sinclair relays that Benjamin Huebsch has read Kress's manuscript, and finds it wanting. "His general impression seemed to be that your opinions were intruded into the narrative," Sinclair writes. "He thought the material was interesting, but your point of view was narrow." Sinclair also addresses Kress's inquiry about writing a biography of him. He discourages Kress from speaking to [Irving] Stone, [William] Woodward or Lewis Browne as they have all "talked about writing a biography of me."...

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Sinclair thanks Kress for "calling attention" to a "slip" in the manuscript about Walter Rathanau, the German statesman who was assassinated in 1922. He goes on to address two humorous questions from Kress regarding whether he has ever made maple syrup.

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This brief letter contains further discussion about the plot of Dragon's Teeth.

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Sinclair discusses the plot of Between Two Worlds, sequel to World's End.

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Sinclair reports on smog in Los Angeles and notes he is "working hard on Volume XI." He will send Kress some sections of the manuscript as "soon as the different foreign persons have read it."

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Sinclair writes of the difficulty in answering his mail "while at the same time keeping Lanny Budd and all his details in my mind." Sinclair reports he is working on the later chapters of One Clear Call.

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Sinclair reveals he "intends to remain a 'Socialist,'" explaining he was never a "'revolutionary' in a Communist sense. . . ." Discussion of a possible war with Russia follows.

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Sinclair proposes another business arrangement. Sinclair has revised Letters to Judd, his widely distributed pamphlet outlining his views on American capitalism, and asks Kress to promote it to "labor groups all over the country." Sinclair will pay "the cost of the operation plus a reasonable fee for his time." Haldeman Julius, Sinclair's friend and publisher of the "Little Blue Books series, will supply the pamphlets.

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Sinclair describes his sentiments toward the Soviet Union. "I hoped for the best; but I did not see it. As the years have passed I have been forced to see that their whole policy has lying as its base." "Everytime I said a good word for the Commies I saw that I had been made a fool of; and in the end I dropped them completely. . . ." Writing of Kress's biography he notes, "I'm afraid you won't get far. . .I can't get my own stuff published."