March 21 Thursday

Went to Emmerich to mend her Primus: but soldering needed. Heavy day. Worked over the remainder of Ch. 5 of Antigua & and gave to Carl. Took Salamo1 for walk to Calabat where we ordered a chicken. A great strain passing down to Canellun through sheep.
Destroyed The Mirror, started another about place in history. 2 Pinned up green curtain in attic. Wrote to T.J. Wise for copy of deServiez & to Jonathan Cape about No Decency Left. 3
Decision to buy Salamo a muzzle against sheep.
Laura not well: nervous voices affect her most, and me. Madora [sic: Medora] repeating the same thing over & over (tired out from Palma) and Emmerich screaming at me about primus.
Reading Hans Anderson's 'To Be or not To Be' novel.
One of the anemones from Holland is about to flower.

Editorial Notes

1RG's bull-dog. eds
2"And Should I Fail?"? See note to "Historical Particulars" in Complete Poems, Vol. III, p. 555. eds.
3Published 1932 [under the pseudonym Barbara Rich] by RG, though he had written to T.E. Lawrence "L R and I are writing a modern novel.." or words to that effect; see: T.E.L. to his Biographers. Rewritten entirely by LR as per corresp w/ J Cape. She denies no, RG was co-author of final results though will not acknowledge her authorship. K.G.

Hands Referenced

Places Mentioned

  • Palma

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

  • Canellun

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

  • Ca l'Abat

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    Beautiful farm with watch-tower on the way to Llucalcari. WG

People Mentioned

  • 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.

  • Frau Emmerich; "Jämmerlich"

    Emmerich, Frau
    German painter, from Magdeburg, resident in Deyá. Invariably referred to with the prefix "Frau". K.G./ WG

  • T. J. Wise

    Wise, T.J.
    Infamous forger and bookseller. C.P.

  • Madora

    Marroig Más, Madora
    Gelat's wife. W.G. R.G. often spells her first name "Medora," and precedes it with "the." eds.

Organizations Mentioned

  • Jonathan Cape Ltd.

    Jonathan Cape
    London publisher of Lawrence and the Arabs, Good-Bye to All That, No Decency Left, etc. eds.

Bibliography

    • Title: Antigua Penny Puce
    • Author: Graves, Robert
    • PubPlace: Deyá & London
    • Publisher: Seizin & Constable
    • Idno: A46
    • Date: 1936
    • Title: The Mirror [poem] ["destroyed" 21 Mar. 1935: diary, eds.]
    • Author: Robert Graves
    • Date: 1935
    • Title: And Should I Fail? [poem: became "What Then?"]
    • Author: Graves, Robert
    • Title: Robert Graves: The Complete Poems Vols. 1-3
    • Author: Graves, Robert
    • Editor: Beryl Graves and Dunstan Ward
    • PubPlace: Manchester and Paris
    • Publisher: Carcanet Press and Alyscamps
    • Date: 1995-1999
    • Title: No Decency Left
    • Author: Rich, Barbara [Graves, Robert/ Riding, Laura]
    • PubPlace: London
    • Publisher: Jonathon Cape
    • Idno: A38
    • Date: 1932