DECEMBER 1935

Graves begins the month with a hangover (up late dancing the night before), the perfect start to what proves to be a rather dreary, not particularly festive December for Graves and Riding. Both suffer illnesses and general exhaustion: too many late nights and too much work take their toll. Graves complains of digestive problems and is taking some kind of "cure," while Laura is troubled by her appendix. Karl, too, is ill. The workload is heavy as they ready the latest issue of Focus for publication.
As well, Graves spends long days on the T. E. Lawrence project,1 and is pleased with the start that Liddell-Hart has made. He also seems pleased with Liddell-Hart's title suggestions. At the end of the month he sends the first draft of his part of the project to Liddell-Hart for commentary.
Riding and Reeves work on Schools until Reeves returns to England mid-month. Riding also reads over Richards' Old Soldier Sahib and drafts a poem entitled "Friendship on Visit." Graves' newest poem is "Prosperity of Poets."
Reeves is replaced by Alan Hodge, who stays on for Christmas, along with the McCormacks, making it a quiet six for Christmas dinner. Graves appreciates Hodge's honest comments about I, Claudius - the younger man suggests that the book reads as if it were "written for money." In the new year Hodge will contribute an article on drama to Epilogue. Honor Wyatt sends seasons greetings and gifts from England. The year ends on a subdued note, with more gardening - Gelat and Graves replace the olive trees with fruit trees (pomegranate, pear and blue plum) and re-do the garden paths.
This month of the diary contains two enclosures:
  • Notice of a "Frontón Balear"2 game in Palma, 4 December 1935, at 9:45 PM.
  • List of words that Graves incorporates into a poem.

Editorial Notes

2 Balearic Islands pelota, or ball(game) eds.

Hands Referenced

Places Mentioned

  • Baleares

    Balearic Islands, Spain
    Region of Spain that includes the Balearic Islands. Majorca is one of those Islands. eds.

  • Palma

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

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).

  • 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.

  • 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

  • Liddell Hart

    Liddell Hart, Capt. Basil
    War-fare expert and friend of T.E. Lawrence. Collaborated with RG on a book of T.E.L'.s letters, published in 1938. See RPG p.231. WG & Eds.

  • James

    Reeves, James
    Schoolmaster, writer and Poet. Friend of Jacob Bronowski. W.G./ K.G.; m. to Mary Phillips; daughter Stella born June 14, 1938 eds.

  • Richards

    Richards, Frank
    Author of Old Soldiers Never Die and Old Soldier Sahib which R.G. rewrote for him. Was in The Royal Welch Fusiliers, R.G.'s regiment. eds.; Birth name is Francis Phillip Woodruff eds. see Diary September 27, 1936

  • Alan

    Hodge, Alan
    Oxford history graduate. Became close friends with LR & RG. First husband of Beryl Graves. CP & WG

  • McCormacks

    McCormack, Walter & Violet
    Tenants of Ca'n Torrent. Had two daughters: Jennifer, a dancer, & Betty. Continued their friendship with Robert and Laura in England. eds.

  • 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).

  • 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.)
  • 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: Focus I, II, III, IV [newsletter]
    • Editor: Riding, Laura
    • PubPlace: Deyá
    • Publisher: Seizin
    • Date: 1935
    • Title: T.E. Lawrence to His Biographer
    • Author: Lawrence, T.E.
    • Editor: Graves, Robert
    • PubPlace: New York
    • Publisher: Doubleday, Doran & Co., Inc.
    • Idno: A49
    • Date: 1938
    • Title: Schools [an international survey of education]
    • Author: Graves, Robert; Riding, Laura
    • Editor: Riding, Laura
    • Title: Old Soldier Sahib
    • Author: Richards, Frank
    • Editor: Graves, Robert
    • PubPlace: London, New York
    • Publisher: Faber & Faber; Harrison Smith & Robert Haas
    • Idno: A44
    • Date: 1936
    • Title: Friendship on Visit [set poem]
    • Title: Collected Poems (1938)
    • Author: Riding, Laura
    • PubPlace: London, Toronto, Melbourne & Sydney
    • Publisher: Cassell and Company Limited
    • Date: 1938-09
    • Title: Prosperity of Poets ["set poem," R.G.: published posthumously]
    • Title: Robert Graves: Complete Poems, Vol. III
    • Author: Graves, Robert
    • Editor: Beryl Graves and Dunstan Ward
    • PubPlace: Manchester
    • Publisher: Carcanet Press
    • BiblScope: pp. 406, 556 (note)
    • Date: 1995-1999
    • Title: I, Claudius [novel]
    • Author: Graves, Robert
    • PubPlace: London
    • Publisher: Arthur Barker
    • Idno: A42
    • Date: 1934
    • Title: Epilogue II
    • Editor: Riding, Laura & Graves, Robert
    • PubPlace: Deyá & London
    • Publisher: Seizin & Constable
    • Idno: B24
    • Date: 1936