Working note from Jean Paulhan sent to Jacques Rivière (May 17, 1920)

May 17, 1920

June issue

to save time (the composition being much longer than you thought) I took the liberty of modifying the order of the articles. Do you see a serious disadvantage in “a stain on the coat of arms” coming after “the marine cemetery”, before Michel Arnauld’s article?
To avoid exceeding 160 pages, I need to free up around 20 pages. I am of the opinion:

1. to reduce the 5 paragraphs provided for in the Revue des Revues to 2 (plus 3 p.)
2. to return to July:

• Ghéon's note on Psichari (+ 4 p.)
• Schlumberger's note on Stevenson (+ 4 p.)
• Allard's note on Barney (+ 2 p.)
• Morand's note on Cendrars (1)
• the chronicle of V. Larbaud (6) (To keep Larbaud's chronicle, we would have to postpone Raphael's 4th centenary to July or Morand's Keynes and Schlumberger's "Athalie". In the event that you do not approve of my decision, will you telegraph me as soon as you receive this letter),

I have sent you the proofs of Mr. Arnauld's article, and notes from Breton, Mac Orlan and Larbaud.
The corrected proofs of articles (1) & (2) are in the hands of Paillart. I plan to return to him tomorrow evening the corrected proofs of articles (3) & (4), and the day after tomorrow the corrected proofs of the notes.

June issue (continued)

Valéry was not satisfied with the events: he was counting on a larger body; I offered him (perhaps a little lightly) to start the composition again. He didn't want it, and answered me very kindly. (his poem is in body 10 italics: did you ask for other characters, or another layout from Paillart?)
I warned Tronche that the headline should only read “the marine cemetery”.

July issue

Valery Larbaud gave Mr. Tronche the manuscript of “Beauté”. Should I request it, and send it to you?
I have no response from Claudel for the “Saint-Louis”.
Thibaudet sent you his column from Sweden. It must have reached you in Cenon around May 5th.
I asked for notes:

• in Thibaudet, on "fantasies on the Eternal" and "the terraces of Timbuktu" by Randau, "the Eeyore" by Buisse, "Dance with fire and water" by Elie Faure, "Portraits and figures of the 18th century" (published in Holland).
• to Roger Allard, on Henry Céard's "War Sonnets".
• to Louis Aragon (without committing you in any way) on P. Benoit, about "For don Carlos".

I will receive, within ten days, the notes of Pareau, Vandeputte, Yvonne Rihouët, Ker-Frank-Houx, and also that of Mac Orlan on Conrad. Should I send them to you?
Would you mind asking Breton for a note on “gaspard de la Nuit” (the Mermaid).

July, August, etc. issue

I sent you a letter and a manuscript from Speyer on Saturday.
I also sent you Crémieux’s chronicle. It seems interesting and "risky" to me.
Paul Morand would happily write a note on Willard's "Tour d'horizon".
I will send Thibaudet's column to Paillart on Thursday, and "Beauté..."
Paul Claudel would like the nrf to return the manuscript of "Saint-Louis" to him, after having typed it. Gallimard seems to remember that he essentially wants the poem to appear in the August 1st issue. (is he not wrong? Should I write to Claudel?)
Chartier lives lives 149 r. from Rennes. Gallimard thinks you should write to him first. “Chartier,” he said, “is very jealous of his freedom: it would be preferable not to first set a precise subject or date for it.” Can I write to him for you?
Robert Maurice writes to you, and submits some prose poems to you (I like the restrained tone of his letter - a little less the poems). Should I forward the letter and the manuscript to you, or tell him that you are absent and cannot write to him for some time?
The hai-kaïs will not be ready for July...
Jacob promises a story and poems.
Allard would be ideally suited to run the “art books” section (what an unpleasant word). Don't you think so?
Allard had already refused to make the note on Le Cardonnel.
Jacob would definitely make a note about the “blonde negress.” Can I ask him?
Yes, I wrote to Toulet and Marsan.
Carco has not yet brought his novel.

July, August issue

It seems difficult to me not to entrust the note on “Cinématoma” to Allard, who really wants it.
Would you allow me to entrust Albert Uriet with the note on Marie-Claire's workshop, in case you do not want to write it?
I ask Jean Pellerin, without committing you, for notes on the "blonde negress" and "Chéri" by Colette.
Allard promises the poems for May 30.
Gide gave me two acts of Antony and Cleopatra. (He asks me first to place them in the middle, then at the top of the number).
I don't have Fabre's article yet. “It’s long,” said Valéry, “maybe hard.”
Gide will undoubtedly give us an "open letter to Pierre Mille" on Rimbaud.
Gide seems to wish (he even completely wishes) that the review gives new extracts from Ghéon's Sainte-Cécile (the first ones, he says, had a very great success), and at least the first chapter of the Aragon novel (Anicet's conversation with Arthur).
Gallimard gave me some “Indochinese shadows” by Jean d'Esme, which Allard found very good. It would be rushed, fragments having to appear in other journals. Should I send them to you? These are "picturesque notes", which seem uninteresting to me.
Henri Ménabréa has brought you a novel: les Avares. Larbaud must write to you, and recommend it to you.
I have no response from Thibaudet, who is ill.
Aragon waives the note on Benoit.

June issue [July?]

on June 20. I return the first two sheets to Paillart with the proof.
on the 23rd. Yesterday I sent two proofs to Paillart. Today three.
Michel Arnauld added a passage to his article which obliges me to delete the “Porul” note. I also remove the journal memento.
Keynes' book will appear in five days, therefore before Morand's note.
On the third reading, the “stain on the coat of arms” affects me quite keenly. (It seems to me that all the pageantry is toning down, and that we are pleased to find this — in certain ways —Alissa in the English way).

(I don't have quite the same feeling as you about Mr. Arnauld's article.
and I hardly understand either how Alain, after so much ingenuity expended, finds himself back at the point from which he started. And what a point! — a system of ideas roughly of the same order as that of Fernand Buisson. His “Remarks” disappoint me even more.)
(he has a mind in "moving")
I have no response from Thibaudet, who is ill.
Paul Morand had warned you, he wrote to me, that he signed the note on Keynes with initials.

Miscellaneous

Your concierge gave me various printed matter and books (which had not come in the mail). Should it be left on your table, or forwarded to you:
an invitation to subscribe to “Mélanges B. Bouvier”.
the Bulletin of the “A. of Combatant Writers”.
New Writings (May).
Vision of an Age of Steel, by R. Schwab
Marie-Claire's workshop, by Marg. Audoux

(Do you remember the note Alain-Fournier wrote about Marie-Claire?)
Gallimard asks me for a copy of the “note on Descartes” which must be in your home. Should I look for it, and where?
Did you receive, a month and a half ago, a manuscript by J. Trève, the bull's lover, that V.E. Michelet today recommends you. I can't find it in the manuscripts you left me.

Miscellaneous

Mrs. L. Vulda proposes to produce a special issue of the nrf on Hindu poets. I answer that you will read what she sends, but that you do not ask her anything.
I am returning to H. Dalby, at his request, the poem he addressed to you.
I take it upon myself to refuse and return two insignificant poems by L. Bourbon.
Would you like me to send you the clippings relating to the nrf, or leave them with you?
Fagus submits to you some poems translated from Latin. Of no interest. But Fagus wrote beautiful things. Do you want me to ask him to let me choose from his unpublished poems?
I found at your place, and gave to Gallimard, the note on Descartes.
You received, from Duhamel, the “work of the athletes”.
Attached is a letter from Martin-Guelliot, to whom I had spoken about a note on Thibaudet's Maurras. I'm going to see if another book would interest him. He would, I believe, be an excellent recruit for the nrf.
Can I give Crémieux the Ronda, and the other Italian magazines, when they arrive? I agree with your opinion on his column (and the last sentence, perhaps, attenuates the severity of the rest - at least it opens a door...)

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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.