Steinbeck, John Autograph Letter Signed ("John") to Burgess Meredith and Paulette Goddard,regarding his new-born son, Tom, his and Gwyn's plans for their new housein Monterey, and other personal matters [Monterey, California, november, 1944] UNPUBLISHED letter from the author of THE GRAPES OF WRATH. Recently arrived in Monterey from New York, with Cannery Row completed, his new son Tom only a few months old, and where he had found his new house (The Soto House), Steinbeck, in high spirits, writes his good friends Burgess Meredith and Paulette Goddard who are expecting their first child: "We're writing Dr. Benaron today about the best man in your area ...I'm a believer in a hell of a lot of prenatal inspection. It saves a lot of trouble and can make the difference between a miserable time and a very happy time....Anyway you'll have fun. Honest Tom, now known as Swine Child, is a lot of fun. We enjoy him all the time. He is very funny and completely unremarkable. Has two eyes, two ears and the proper number of arms and legs. I wonder, by the way, who said that number was proper. Undoubtedly some egotist with two arms and two legs. ...Tom's mental age is 11 weeks and he is three months old. This keeps him out of Harvard and the presidency not to mention Time-life. Do you suppose there is a vacancy is the Meglin kiddies. Hemight as well tap dance as just lie around the house. Our new house is one of the nicest of the adobes. Built about 1835, quite small - big living room, two bedrooms, lean-to kitchen and bath and a large garden. After the war we will add a wing in adobe. It is a very pleasant house. I'm sure you will like it. Well probably be in it by next weekend. We're going to have2o do the painting ourselves, but I like doing that. I once was a painter's apprentice for 6 months. Now it is Sunday and a very beautiful day. The rain is over and the earth giveth a good smell. It may take a couple or three days to get a reply from Chicago. Last night some drunks came in. I am getting old I guess. I didn't find them amusing. This is probably a bad thing. Three blimps are just outside off the coast, looking for something from their maneuvers. That's all - will let you know what we find out..." 14 x 8-1/2 inches. 2pp. in pencil, on rectos of two legal-size ruled note sheets. Very good. From the Estate of Burgess Meredith Price: USD 4,000.00 other currencies   order no. 29897    inquire

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