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James Agee. Autograph letter signed ("James Agee") to "Miss Bentzen." 172 Bleecker St., New York, 6 February 1945....
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Description
James Agee. Autograph letter signed ("James Agee") to "Miss Bentzen." 172 Bleecker St., New York, 6 February 1945.4 pages, 8vo (215 x 140 mm), on two leaves, written in pencil in his neat miniscule hand. Housed in a cloth folder and quarter morocco folding case.
An extraordinary and revealing letter, written in response to a letter from a Miss Bentzen, who was apparently critical of his book Let Us Now Praise Famous Men (1941). After thanking her for her letter, Agee writes:
"I doubt I could ever give it as good an answer as it ought to have-mainly because I think most of the best answers are your own as you state or imply them... In every way that the book made you feel as you did, I believe your are right and I was wrong... that the truth about the things seen and written of contains all that either of us feels about them and then some-but that your own feelings and knowledge are much more clearly humane...
But I know that long stretches of the book were so predominantly occupied with the beauty or look of things that their meaning to those who lived with or used the things-which I meant constantly either to state or imply-was not as clear by a great deal as it might have been... In the long run I hoped and meant to give every aspect of the living I knew about its full emphasis, and to try to make clear how extremely complex and full of contradiction even the simplest bit of actual existence is, no matter how painful or urgent or workable- some needs and major changes are. I took as you have seen a very perverse and cart-before-the-horse way into this idea. I am not sure I any longer agree with my reasons why this seemed the proper way, but I would like to explain them to you."
Agee continues to explain to Bentzen that he was trying to write for people, unlike herself, who had become complacent and sophisticated in their reactions about the "poor," even such people for whom such poor had become a "pet-problem," although they knew nothing of how such people actually lived. He also explains that he could not write about the people in such a way as to bring evil and terrible conditions clearly into view to be changed for the better, because he did not believe that such things- could be changed in such a fashion, and that "those who lack faith and those who have it must give their lives to the effort in their own terms." There are pencil marginal strokes on the third page, which might indicate that this letter was a preliminary draft, or it was never sent to the recipient.
Condition: Worn at folds with some separations; roughly cut (or frayed) along right margin edge (not affecting text); small hole at center of text on second leaf affecting several letters on recto and verso; a few tiny marginal nicks some marginal soiling; a few tiny spots or stains.
Provenance: Purchased from Hamill & Barker, Chicago. From the William A. Strutz Library.
View all of [The William A. Strutz Library ]
Auction Info
2024 December 11 Important English and American Literature: The William A. Strutz Library, Part II, Rare Books Signature® Auction #6300 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
December, 2024
11th
Wednesday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 4
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