Horace Liveright: Publisher of the Twenties

New York: David Lewis, 1970. Hardcover. 8vo. Blue with gilt and red spine lettering, pictorial dust jacket. xi, 287pp. Fine/near fine. Superb, tight 1st edition of the 1st biography of the eccentric publisher (1884-1933) who founded The Modern Library and Boni & Liveright in 1917 with partner Albert Boni -- first American publishers of William Faulkner, Sigmund Freud, Ernest Hemingway, Hart Crane, S.J. Perelman, Lewis Mumford and Dorothy Parker as well as publisher of Bertrand Russell, Theodore Dreiser, T.S. Eliot and other literary luminaries. Tipped to inner flyleaf of this sharp copy is a great content Typed Letter Signed (in pencil) from Liveright, 1p, 5½" X 8½", New York, NY, 10 November 1924. Addressed to Henry Albert Phillips. Fine. On "Boni & Liveright Publishers" letterhead, Liveright chats with this author (1880-1951) whose book "Other People's Lives" he had just published: "I'm glad that you and Mrs. Phillips liked The Firebrand. I think it's a damn good play and I am happy to say that it is doing wonderfully well. It's hard for me to believe that my first theatrical venture has been a real success." He changes subject: "I am awfully eager to learn what has happened to the novel. Has anyone considered it very seriously. Maybe I can be of some help to you." Boldly signed in pencil. In 1924 Liveright attempted a career as stage producer; it fizzled and drained his resources. Whether this letter expresses the initial success of the play (seemingly the case) or Liveright wanted to impress one his authors is unclear. Edwin Justus Mayer's comedy "The Firebrand" opened on Broadway at the Morosco Theatre on October 15, 1924 and played until June 20, 1925. What "the novel" was is a mystery and presumably was never published, for only nonfiction titles appear among Phillips' books.