JUNE 1935

The beginning of summer brings a flurry of activity to Canelluñ. Decorating the Posada consumes a great deal of time, and Graves and Riding employ a number of labourers. Much of the stonework is being done with rocks that Graves has found on the beach. These need to be brought up from the sea by hand, and the work is tedious. But exercise and hot weather contribute to Graves' good mood and health - he comments that he is drinking little alcohol but lots of water, and feels better than he has done in ages. Not so positive is the dispute that erupts over water rights for the Graves property. In this matter Gelat gets into a feud with the local doctor; bad feeling and the legal ramifications of the dispute will shape the next several months. Writes Graves, "Gelat is in a murderous state about the medico: seriously talked of killing him."
But there is also room for celebration. The visit from Honor Wyatt and Gordon Glover is the excuse for many get-togethers and shopping trips to Palma, where Graves buys gifts for friends, staff and Riding. The group also attends the first bullfight of the season.
But Honor and Gordon's visit also puts a strain on their friendship with Graves and Riding. The couple are having marriage problems (Gordon is having an affair). Riding and Graves suggest that Honor and the baby stay in the Posada as their guests for a year if Gordon leaves. But after Riding reads aloud to him a severe letter she wrote about his conduct, Gordon decides to wire his mistress and break off the relationship. By this point, Honor is so angry that she sends him to a beach resort near Palma, but he returns after a few days. The two decide to separate.
During their stay, Graves reads autobiographical accounts written by Glover, Wyatt and Glover's mistress. Collectively entitled A Mistake Somewhere, the book chronicles their ménage à trois. Graves can hardly contain his scorn of Gordon's version, but enjoys Honor's perspective.
Graves drafts several poems this month: "Never Such Love," "Moments in Never," "Lines to Myself" (later "Address to Myself") and "Address to Customers" ("Receipt for Moneys"). He also goes over "What Then?" and re-titles it "Historical Particulars." Graves continues with the "Claudius Film Version" book. Mary Phillips takes on some of the typing duties, and Graves has Karl begin a translation of Schwarz's memoirs (later published as Almost Forgotten Germany). Also this month, Graves and Riding go over the proofs of the new issue of Focus.
Another difficulty arises in June: Arnie Lawrence (representing the Lawrence estate) argues about copyright issues with Graves. Arnie Lawrence demands that Graves return The Evening Standard fee and send him the letters that T. E. Lawrence had written him. Graves replies that he had planned to return the money, that he wouldn't reprint anything without permission, but that he would keep the letters as they were private and addressed to him. After much back and forth, Graves and Lawrence agree to a truce, but the matter is disturbing enough that when Korda suggests that he send his brother to Deyá to help with the Lawrence film script, Graves explains the copyright issues and tells Korda he would prefer to not be involved in any T. E. Lawrence project if Arnie Lawrence disapproves.

Hands Referenced

Places Mentioned

  • Canellun

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    Laura Riding and Robert Graves' house. Also Canellun (private) road. WG, KG

  • Posada, La

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    House on the Puig next to Deyá church. Originally part of the Es Molí property. It had been rented by the church for Sunday school. RG and LR bought it in February, 1935, to use as a guest house for their visitors. WG, eds.

  • Palma

    Palma, Majorca, Sp
    Capital and largest centre of Majorca.

  • Deyá

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    Town located on the northwest coast of Majorca, on the hillside between the Teix Mountains and the sea: this was RG's home with Laura Riding from 1929 to 1936. He returned there with his family after WW II. Eds.

People Mentioned

  • Robert

    Graves, Robert
    [1st person]. (1895-1985). Poet, novelist, essayist, critic, and author of his diary. eds.

  • Laura

    Riding, Laura
    (1901-91) American poet. Laura Riding (née Reichenthal; then Laura Gottschalk).

  • Gelat

    Más, Juan Marroig
    Juan Marroig Mas, called Gelat: Landowner on Deyá and friend of Robert Graves and Laura Riding (L.R. & R.G.'s factotum. W.G.)

  • Médico

    Vives, Antonio Dr.
    The village doctor (Deyá). At odds with Gelat (water rights controversy). His brother, Juan Vives, was Gelat's son-in-law. WG

  • Honor

    Wyatt, Honor
    Journalist. Arrived in Deyá fortuitously. Married to Gordon Glover...Son Julian. W.G. First acquainted with R.G. and L.R. early in 1934; returned to visit in 1935; continued friendship in England. eds (RPG 211).

  • Gordon

    Glover, Gordon
    Married to Honor Wyatt. WG

  • Mary

    Phillips, Mary
    Visitor. Typed most of I, Claudius. Later married James Reeves. WG

  • Karl/Carl

    Goldschmidt, Karl
    Karl Goldschmidt, later Kenneth Gay: Graphic artist, friend and secretary of Robert Graves and Laura Riding since 1934. R. G. spells both as Carl and Karl.

  • Swartz

    Schwarz, Georg
    German Jew. Deyá neighbour. Antique dealer. Lived with Frau Emmy Strenge, his house keeper, in Can Caballo some hundred yards from Canellun. RG and LR translated his "Almost Forgotten Germany." WG

  • Arnie

    Lawrence, A.W. (Arnie)
    T.E. Lawrence's brother and executor. WG

  • T.E.

    Lawrence, T. E.
    'Lawrence of Arabia.' Met Robert in Oxford in the early twenties. Made Robert his biographer and had him write "Lawrence and the Arabs." WG

  • Korda

    Korda, Alexander
    Director of the film version of I Claudius.
  • Goldschmidt, Karl
    Karl Goldschmidt, d.1995, who later changed his name to Kenneth Gay, was Robert Graves' and Laura Riding's personal secretary during the period when the diary was written. He later annotated another printout of the diary produced from the B.A. Graves transcript, which is at the Graves Trust Archives in St. John's Oxford. Notes by Karl Goldschmidt are denoted as KG.
  • Graves, William
    Son of Robert and Beryl Graves. Helped to identify names, places and titles in Deya (1935-1936) and with translations and other references in three ways. He left an annotated printout of the first six months of the diary in the Graves Trust Room at St. John's College, Oxford. He also sent Chris Petter an Excel file with a list identifying names and places, principally in the Majorcan sections of the diary, and a glossary of Spanish terms. Finally he has sent the editors answers in response to reference questions. Notes by William Graves are identified with the initials WG.

Organizations Mentioned

  • Editors

    Editors of the Graves Diary Project.

Bibliography

    • Title: Mistake Somewhere, A
    • Author: Anonymous [Gordon Glover/Honor Wyatt/Molly Hare]
    • Editor: Riding, Laura
    • PubPlace: Deyá
    • Publisher: Seizin
    • Date: 1936-02-13
    • Title: Never Such Love [poem]
    • Title: Collected Poems [1938]
    • Author: Graves, Robert
    • PubPlace: London
    • Publisher: Cassell
    • Idno: A48
    • Date: 1938
    • Title: Moments in Never [poem; later Proofs of Royalty; published as Fragment of a Lost Poem]
    • Title: Robert Graves: Complete Poems Vol. II
    • Author: Graves, Robert
    • Editor: Beryl Graves and Dunstan Ward
    • PubPlace: Manchester
    • Publisher: Carcanet Press
    • BiblScope: pp. 86, 313 (note).
    • Date: 1995-1999
    • Title: Address to Myself [poem: scrapped Aug. 11, 1935 R.G.; became Address to Self, published posthumously]
    • Title: Robert Graves: Complete Poems Vol. III
    • Author: Graves, Robert
    • Editor: Beryl Graves and Dunstan Ward
    • PubPlace: Manchester
    • Publisher: Carcanet Press
    • BiblScope: p. 555 (note)
    • Date: 1995-1999
    • Title: Receipt for Moneys [poem: also called Address to Customers. Was "scrapped" see diary Apr. 3, 1936]
    • Author: Graves, Robert
    • Title: What Then? [poem: became Historical Particulars. June 25, 1935 R.G.]
    • Author: Graves, Robert
    • Title: Historical Particulars [poem: formerly What Then?]
    • Title: Robert Graves: Complete Poems Vol. III
    • Author: Graves, Robert
    • Editor: Beryl Graves and Dunstan Ward
    • PubPlace: Manchester
    • Publisher: Carcanet Press
    • BiblScope: pp. 404-05, 555 (note)
    • Date: 1995-1999
    • Title: Claudius Film Version [The Fool of Rome] [a condensed novel based on I, Claudius]
    • Author: Graves, Robert
    • Title: Almost Forgotten Germany [Almost Forgotten Times]
    • Author: Schwarz, Georg
    • Editor: Trans. Graves, Robert/ Riding, Laura
    • PubPlace: Deyá & London
    • Publisher: Seizin & Constable
    • Idno: A45
    • Date: 1936
    • Title: Focus I, II, III, IV [newsletter]
    • Editor: Riding, Laura
    • PubPlace: Deyá
    • Publisher: Seizin
    • Date: 1935
    • Title: London Evening Standard
    • PubPlace: London