Letter from John G. Neihardt to Lucile Aly, October 18, 1963

It was good to hear from you. You had seemed so far away. I feel much encouraged, knowing that your promotion, of which I had not heard,) will give you more control of your time, as well as more help and more money! I should be able to plan so as to be with you when you can [d?] evotedevote most of your time to the writing. (You mentioned Spring). So far I have read 59 pages & dictated corrections. There are 72 pages, I note. Gail was reading to me & taking dictation, (She is quite good), but she had to leave for residence at Christian College. I can arrange to have Enid do the remainder for me. When you receive the correction sheets (with the MS) you can recast the text to include [corrections?] corrections and suggestions. This, then, will give us a firm basis for [the?] further progress. I'm glad you said that about stagefright! The word explains some things very much unlike the Lucile I don't like at all (I do too), the Lucile who wrote the finely done, flowing passages later on.

You know what you (and I too) call my "stories". Those are the flesh and blood of the biographical business, and I know you can make them come alive in your narrative if you first know them and feel them.

Anyway, be happy, and there'll be a [fine?] fine book. [Mote?] Note the enclosed about Bancroft. It could somehow lead off the chapter on the Bancroft days. (Think how much I did do in that town, and how it would have encouraged me to know what the chipping tells!!)

I don't know about India yet. I can't go in [November?] November.

I'm so eager to know something of your experiences there.