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ARCHIVE OF CORRESPONDENCE. Signed

by Nabokov, Vladimir

[30 Day Return Guarantee] Price: $18,500.00

Book Description

Palo Alto, Wellesley, Cambridge, Berkeley : September 1941 - August 1945., 1945 A delectable little file of correspondence [with Professor George R. Noyes] dating from Nabokov's earliest residence in the United States, providing insight into his preoccupations and the conditions he faced establishing his credibility in America. Presumably, there were few people in the United States to whom Nabokov could direct these early assertions. (There are only 16 letters in the Edmund Wilson file earlier than the earliest offered in this dossier.) All the letters in this particular file, inclusive of the facsimile, are directly related to Nabokov's professional life and in particular, provide an early, detailed discussion of the principles and intentions within two of his works of this period. 1. Als. 9.IX, 41. Palo Alto. Beginning, "Dear Professor Noyes". The text of this letter is in Russian. 9 Lines. - To the prominent professor of Slavic Studies at the University of California at Berkeley. Nabokov arrived in New York from Europe May 28, 1940. His first year in America was o ccupied with research at the Museum Of Natural History classifying butterflies, free-lance book reviews steered to him by his recent friend, Edmund Wilson and with preparing lectures for the lecture circuit roster of the Institute Of International E ducation. On May 26, 1941 he left for California and a summer delivering lectures at Stanford University in creative writing, drama and Russian Literature. On returning to New York, Nabokov was greeted by a telegram inviting him to the position of R esident Lecturer in Comparative Literature at Wellesley College, his first full-time job in the United States. The present letter mentions Wellesley. Nabokov had sought out Noyes as an influential scholar of Russian Literature in the hope that he mi ght help him secure a professorship in the United States. (Signed: V. Nobokov) 2. Tls. January 22, 1942. Wellesley, Mass. - A short note to Noyes (9 lines), thanking him for the gift of his recent book and for a long letter Noyes had written Nabok ov about, Sebastian Knight. "I composed it four years ago in Paris and it was the first novel I wrote straight in English". (Signed: V. Nobokov) - 3. Tls. 24, October, 1945. Cambridge, Mass. - 2pp. addressed to Noyes in which Nabokov discusses an aspect of license which he had taken in his translation of Pushkin's poem, Mozart And Salleri, (pp. 21, Three Russian Poets), and to which Professor Noyes had drawn attention. Nabokov goes on to clarify his contention that deliberate moralizing in a work of art destroys its value as literature no matter how skillfully written. This was in response to exceptions Noyes had taken with the concept of morality in literature as he read it in Nabokov's study, Gogol, (1944-New Directions). Nabokov co ncludes thanking Noyes for his efforts in securing him a position at Berkeley. "I am glad you understand that I should not be offered a low-salaried job". (Signed: V. Nobokov) 4. Tls. 6, October, 1945. Cambridge, Mass. - Facsimile of a letter fro m Nabokov to Noyes on Noyes' typewriter. Nabokov mentions sending copies of his Gogol and Three Russian Poets to Noyes, continuing with his experiences teaching at Wellesley and outlining his assets to the position of lecturer in Russian Literature and concludes with the hope that the opportunity to teach at Berkeley may soon arise. Noyes replies that he is sending a copy of Nabokov's letter to two of his colleagues. (In all probability, Noyes forwarded the original to a colleague, as only the facsimile survives in the archive). - 5. Tls. August, 1945. Carbon. 3pp. Berkeley, Ca. - Noyes offers his impressions and evaluation to Nabokov regarding two (2) books Nabokov had forwarded, Gogol and Three Russian Poets, discusses Tolstoy and Nab okov's possible misuse of a Latin verb. The remainder of the letter deals with an explanation of the situation in the department of Slavic Studies at Berkeley providing an outline of salaries and the likelihood of impending vacancies and conveys the impression that he does hope to help Nabokov secure a position. (Signed George R. Noyes).

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