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

It has just occurred to me that I should tell you something important before I forget it. Here it is: You should read Egon Friedel's Cultural History of the Modern Age. I've thought of this often, but never remembered it at the right time. You need not read more than Volume II — the first three chapters thereof especially. This will give you a background of strong historical support for the main thesis of my critical writing from 1912 to 1936. It's about time moods. When I was writing I had not seen the work. It is not that my thesis is like Friedel's his but that his historical discussion supports my argument. His work was translated from the German in 1931 (You know, of course, I am thinking of my attitude toward the present time-mood and my explanation of it — often sketched in my article.)

I hope everything is going well with you'ns, and I feel it is so. I'm planning the trip for July. Will write Bower soon.

The Uni. of Neb. Press offers me a contract for republication of Black Elk Speaks ("a great book", "a very beautiful book") in a "quality paper" edition. I accepted, but the contracts stipulate that I shall furnish three copies of the original edition! I have no three copies to give, and you know how difficult they are to get. I don't know what will be done.