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

By now you have the introductory portion of THE MESSIAH.

It was bully to hear from you again. Sorry sickness had to interfere with your good time with Mary and her good man and blessed baby.

Swat Pattee in any way you think may be effective and that will give you the greatest satisfaction. We aren't worried anyway. Time is a great friend of ours, and we should not forget it. The New York mood is ridiculous in any long view, and it is far from omnipotent, even in our loud and foolish moment. There is no good reason to worry about the ultimate destiny of my little

contribution to this world. Scarcely a week passes in which I do not receive evidence of the high standing of my work out through the country from coast to coast. Very commonly it is assumed in the letters I receive that I (hateful and foolish symbol in this connection) am either "the greatest" or one of the greatest poets, etc. In the course of any year, the evidence of this sort is really rather impressive and it comes from any part of the country, certainly not excluding New York. It is not a loud reputation, but clearly it is solid and growing. I don't conceive that I am the thisest or the thatest anything whatever, for I do not believe that art is to be conceived as a foot race; but through what is temporarily called me, more and of deeper meaning has come than through all but a very few other names. This at the least is true. You need not feel in the least on the defensive in your articles. But give a poor fool his just dues for fun and perhaps for the good of a few misguided souls generally.

No, I have not Harriet's screeds. God forbid that I should cherish such things! I am sending another booklet as you ask. Anything that you care to do about this matter will be amusing to me — and gratifying.

A pompous fool is always fair game for the intelligent, and I should say that the hunting is rather good just now!

The great idea now is for me to live through this winter and get going with the Sioux pow-wows

in the spring. Everything will follow naturally thereafter. There will always be fine spirits in this world, even after — and perhaps especially after — a large proportion of our population has been wiped out in the catastrophe that is approaching.

N. B.

I have a really brillant idea for your magazine during the coming year. Listen — are you listening? Well, this is it: Run a series of articles, with excerpts, on genuine American poets who are temporarily neglected! It's a corking idea & a glorious one! To begin with, take Trumbull Stickney, Arthur Upson, Madison Cawein! I've got dope on Upson for you — real dope. And on the others — and still others — if you insist; and you will insist! This is worth doing. We can make the Spoon number a veritable whale! Ask me how & I'll testify!!