Kaaterskill Books

"Hissed at Bryn Mawr"

Lindsay, Vachel.

A Letter about my Four Programmes, for Committees in Correspondence [with holograph revisions].

[Springfield, Ill.], [The Jeffersons Printing Co.], [1916]. 2-65, [1] pp. Illus. with b/w drawings. 4to. Stapled paper wrappers. First edition. Front wrapper detached, wrappers darkened at edges, marginal chips to fore-edges, otherwise very good. Item #43769

Inscribed in full, 'Nicholas Vachel Lindsay' on page 7 at the conclusion of the introduction. Text begins on front wrapper with a table of contents; page 2 contains a list of Lindsay's books with holograph corrections; page 3 addressed by Lindsay to Miss Beatrice Allard [of Bryn Mawr] describes preparations for his engagements. Lindsay was a popular speaker and performer, and this books was prepared for the use of local committees for their publicity. Lindsay delivered four programs: 1. The gospel of beauty. 2. A talk on The art of the moving picture. 3. An evening of higher vaudeville, and orthodox verse as well. 4. The Chinese nightingale, and dramas for impromptu actors. Lindsay was preparing for just such a tour of performances, including the group to whose sponsor this copy was sent, in January of 1919 when he wrote to Sara Trevor Teasdale: "But also your real Vachel is much concerned with having a genuine and sincere tour this spring. It is so full already, and I do not want it to be a mere series of hollow noises. Since so many are like you, and prefer the Empire of China story told simply as a story, I am going to try that. My most successful new Poem is Old Andrew Jackson which should appear in the Independent soon. 2 That is, it is my most successful recitation, and no matter how earnest I am about it, always brings down the house. I cannot understand it, for I truly admire Old Andrew. He is just my style, but the fun in the piece always gets the audience. So please brace me up if you are around, and tell me to do it as earnestly as possible.... On Feb. 28 I spend the day at Bryn Mawr under the auspices of Miss Beatrice Allard" (Jan 3., 1919). But the Bryn Mawr appearance did not go well as Lindsay would write on July 20th of the same year as he contemplated a tour of England "I‘ll be hanged if I want to go through the weird land of England and be hazed as I was in Bryn Mawr or Boston (the two most English spots in America)," and to which he notes in the margin "Confidentially, I was frosted in Boston and hissed at Bryn Mawr." The sponsor at Bryn Mawr was Beatrice Allard [later Brooks] (1893-1977) who would receive her doctorate from Bryn Mawr College a year later in 1920; she would gone on to teach biblical history at Wellesley College for a year, and enjoyed a long career as professor and head of the department of religion at Western College for Women in Oxford, Ohio. Last at auction in 1977.

Price: $400.00