Across the Spectrum:The Interdisciplinary Life and Letters of John G. Neihardt (‘Flaming Rainbow’)

Work piled up during my absence and I came back sick. Am all right now.

Write Mary Austin and Witter Bynner at Santa Fe, N. M., asking for what you want, and saying I told you to do so. They will come across. Mary Austin is much more important as a writer of on Indians than Bynner. I don't know just how easily I could get the original of the True drawing. Perhaps if you can't use reproduce the drawing from the book, the best way is to write Allen True at 1415 Race Street, Denver, Col., and I'm sure he would be delighted to let you use the roriginal. And here I come to an important matter. True is, I feel convinced, the best of all the Indian painters we've had. This is not just a notion of mine, and I can't go into it here. But as a portrayer of Indians, he should come in for some glowing comment in your magazine. Put this up to him and see what you can get to go with your other material.

I have had two separate invitations from the National Council of English Teachers to lecture at the annual convention in Kansas City in November. Neither official knew that the other had invited me, and I accepted both, learning later that the first was the big engagement and that I could not fill the second engagement. They want me to talk about the cycle because "boys in the upper grades" are so fond of the stuff. Words to taht effect, anyway.

I know what you feel about Alexander, and you are right, I overlook nothing of that in my appraisal of him, and certainly you needn't. Just the same, on the whole your magazine appraisal of him is just in the large, and I think it was very generous of you to give him so fine a boost, considering your personal feelings which are justified. But if you two were intimate you would be fond of each other, I know.