Archive of letters concerning the publishing of Evan J. David's novel "As Runs The Glass

1945. Archive of letters concerning the publishing of Evan J. David's novel "As Runs The Glass", 1940-1945
About two inches of correspondence
Generally in Very Good condition with some light edge wear, scattered spotting and a few small stains

This small archive reveals the trials and tribulations associated with the publishing of author Evan J. David's seafaring adventure novel, "As Runs The Glass."

A 1949 newspaper article we found online sums up David's life well. A graduate of Exeter Academy who earned A.B. and M.A. degrees from Harvard, "at one time or another, he has interviewed Mussolini and Clemenceau while on a special, confidential mission for the U.S. State department, has been a special correspondent for Boston and New York newspapers, has handled publicity for the International Air Races, edited the now defunct 'Flying Magazine' for four years and was assistant director of publicity for Gen. Leonard Woods when he ran for the presidency in 1920 against Warren G. Harding. He was once a coal miner in his native Wilkes Barre, Pa." David also authored works on aviation and the United States Coast Guard, as well as "Great Moments of Adventure: The Dramatic Records of Nineteen Gallant Gentlemen," published in 1930.

This collection contains eight letters on letterhead from Harper & Brothers publishing company about David's novel "As Runs The Glass." Seven were addressed to David directly, starting with a letter accompanying the initial contract in July 1940. There are detailed, multi-page letters of 1941 asking for revisions and revealing financial quarrels, a few of which include David's handwritten notes and complaints. One 1942 letter was to David's agent or editor, William C. Lengel, decreeing that the novel was "greatly overwritten, has far too many digressions in the matter of local history and historical detail, and certainly needs some pulling together in the matter of plot interest." Finally, after much heartache, a brief note of October 1943: "happy to send you...your six author's copies."

There are also eight drafts of David's letters to Eugene Saxton at Harper & Brothers, half typescript with manuscript corrections and half handwritten. These consist of his arguments to the publishers' revision requests, including portions from the book along with his reasonings and requests for a continued advance. They also tout the accomplishments of those whom David had read the novel. One was "a graduate and former secretary of the Harvard Law School who has done a great deal of sailing" and who was "tremendously entertained and enthusiastic about the novel from the first to last word." "Another, one of Collier's most famous illustrators, said there was an illustration and a motion picture in every chapter! He has worked in Hollywood!"

The collection also includes drafts of David's letters to others, one asking a friend to read the work and one in 1945 to a woman only referenced as "Laura," asking her to send it to an agent in Hollywood. There are also five and a half typed pages of edits by someone whose name we could not discern, but whose opinion clearly rankled the author. These were annotated by David throughout and include his postscript to whomever he has asked to read them: "Here are some notes I made when I first got this report from the old fossil."

A 1944 New York Times book review called David's work a "novel about love, family conflict, political intrigue and slap-bang sea fights," but tended to agree with the publisher: "Mr. David evidently has gone to some pains to make his background historically accurate. Unfortunately, he does not seem to have taken the same care with his characters...One suspects that the author would have done better either by allowing himself more scope for the development of specific situations or by cutting down the number of situations. Nevertheless, from the standpoint of action, particularly at sea, this is a good yarn."

David also compiled a book entitled "Leonard Wood on National Issues: The Many-Sided Mind of a Great Executive Shown by His Public Utterances." OCLC reveals that that work is widely held, that there are about 30 holdings each of the present novel and of one other, and that his other works are scarce. The Maine State Library has digitized two letters that they sent to David about procuring "As Runs The Glass," but we found no holdings of any of David's archival materials.