Working note from Jean Paulhan sent to Jacques Rivière (May 6, 1920)

May 6, 1920

June issue

Mr. Arnauld's article only reached me this morning, May 6. I sent it immediately to Paillard. I saw Mr. Arnauld and agreed with him on the corrections (the article will be 18 pages long).
I sent Paillard the notes, except Mac Orlan, who did not arrive, Breton, Allard and Larbaud for whom I will wait three days.
I was unable to obtain machine copies. Typists are, it seems, overworked.

I. Breton Here are some sentences which will give you a fairly accurate idea. Gallimard liked it. Naturally it looks more like "Pour Dada" than a critique of Maldoror. Overall, there's a pretty clear charm. (I think I'm quoting the most questionable sentences).

II. Allard Very brief and very simple. it has no scope, and moreover no pretensions.

III. (Valery Larbaud) I was able to type the beginning and conclusion. The environment, moreover, is by far the most interesting.

Miscellaneous

— the May issue must have reached you. I think it was very appreciated; Salmon spoke of it with enthusiasm. But Mr. Gallimard refuses to be interested in the “Romance of Return” (the beginning of which I really like).
— I received some hai-kai from Éluard.
— I wrote to Couchoud, to Maublanc, and to the Japanese, author of tankas
— I received manuscripts (novels and short stories) from A. Obey, the author of "Gardien de la ville", by L'Agence littéraire française.
— Mr. Micéa Emperlé requests authorization to publish his translation of “Return of the Prodigal Son”. Handed over to Gallimard.
— I attach to this letter a letter from Plon, relating to the “Grand Meaulnes”.
— I sent you yesterday the letters and translations of M. H. Jacob.
— The card box is installed. To start classifying the books, I am only waiting for the cards that Mr. Tronche has ordered.
— Almost none of the “art books” that are being published at the moment reach us. Should we not warn the publishers that we will only announce in our mementos the works that have been sent to us (as other magazines do). Couldn't we create a section of the art book?

Miscellaneous

I have received from Mr. Hans Jacob new translations of your "Studies": some typed, others printed. — extracts from magazines — and, he says, much more accurate than the previous ones. Should I send them to you, or wait for a translation of your "Claudel" which he will soon send to you? (He says he is in a hurry to have the conditions from your publisher)

Wouldn't it be good to have a notebook in which to take note of all the books that reach the nrf?

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Unpublished letter, in Jean Paulhan and his surroundings, Letter from the Society of Readers of Jean Paulhan, n°8, 2020, in which context notes not included here appear.