Steinbeck, John Five Autograph Letters Signed (“John”) and 1 Typed Letter (typedsignature “John”) to Burgess Meredith, during World War II, regardingmilitary service Palisades and New York City, april 2, 1942 - feb. 1943 "What a thrill to get a letter from a soldier. I got one once from a veteran of the battle of Gettysburg but that's the last soldier letter I have had until yours came…" Steinbeck continues with a mention of the play version of The Moon Is Down, which had recently opened: "The play opened in Baltimore and it was pretty bad. Thirty minutes for mechanical difficultles and on top of that the lines were too long and too many and we got pretty bad notices. So I went to work and cut it and it opens in New York Tuesday and I don't know what lt will do nor do I care very much. I'm thoroughly sick of it. I just don't llke the theatre. But at least the tempo will be all right this time. It won't limp itself to death…" "My divorce went off with a minimum of name calling but I paid for it with everything I had but that is allright too because I can make some more maybe and she can't. So thats all right. We’ll kind of pull in our horns for a whlle…I might possibly get a transfer to the west coast in the fall but I don t know yet. I think the center is going to be here and I would hate to be away from the center. I probably will be drafted myself and there is no reason that I can think of why not. I'm healthy and have no dependents I can't take care of . I suppose I wouldn't be much better at it than you are. I was very bad when I was in the artillery in the ROTC in school. I think the thing the gunnery sergeant feared most was that I would pull the recoil action of a 75 down in such a way that nobody would ever get lt together again. But I played a nice hand of polo so they let me stay in. But you can't kill nobody with a polo ball . "I've taken the house for two months and if I am kept in this job I will keep it through the summer. But I imagine some brass hat will decide I will do better work in Washington, which is a god damned lie. I am a panel in the office which is nice because I can more or less make my own way since no one knows what a panel is. I guess I'm nearly the only panel we’ve got on our side and maybe what I make of it won’t help us to win the war as quickly as we might if I weren’t a panel or if there were other panels to kind of point the way. But I'm stumbling around and anyone who tries to find out what a panel is by studying me is going to come to the conclusion that the whole thing is kind of crazy. Except of course if you don't want to. I broke one boy's wrist with a near side back stroke…" It was in this period that Steinbeck became involved in his surreal imbroglio with his local draft board, which refused General Henry Arnold’s request for a thirty-day deferment for Steinbeck, who had been writing for the OWI and who was awaiting a commission from the Air Force. The draft board refused, considering that Steinbeck’s writing was such trash that he could not possibly be of any use to the nation as a writer. In the meantime, Steinbeck was in limbo, neither drafted nor commissioned. In his letter sometime in the Fall of 1942 he writes: "General Younts request came in but apparently nothing was done about it …They wired my draft board and delayed classification. I'm reduced now to sitting about a little like a draft dodger…If I had known there was going to be this much delay I could have written a novel but from the first I’ve been on a 12 hour notice. I guess this is the longest I’ve gone without any writing since I was sixteen. I’m getting very itchy…Max Wagner is drafted and goes in Tuesday. I’m getting lonesome. Some fine morning I’m going to throw out the beautiful speeches about how I can do better work than carrying a gun and go down town and enlist. As a matter of fact l’m not bad with a gun and for my age I think I'd make a pretty good soldier.…" He continues shortly thereafter: "Nothing is settled but a lot of wheels are in motion. Gen. Arnold's office wired the draft board and I haven't heard yet how they ruled. As to the other thing Laurence and all the others in that outfit were marvellous. I think they will really run it down. It isn’t a charge it is just a question and apparently it scared everyone so much that they would have nothing to do with it. My answer to the question ‘do you drink?’ was ‘not nearly as much as General Grant.’ Anyway we thrashed things out and maybe something can come of it…I really don't care whether I'm drafted or not. Ed Ricketts is at Fed One and Bill Saroyan and Max Wagner. I would like being with them…" Then the news comes and he writes, in disgust and amazement: "I’m keeping you posted because this whole career is becoming more fantastic every moment. If I live I shall write it some day. Yesterday I had a letter from Headquarters. Gen. Arnold has ordered the historical section [of the Air Force] set up and has ordered me processed as quickly as possible. In the same mail a letter about my draft status. The board has denied headquarters MF request for my deferment on the grounds that I write trash and they cannot see how it can possibly benefit the army. Consequently they are classifying me ‘P’ for about two weeks and then I.A. Isn’t that wonderful? My draft board has become a literary critic. So it looks as though it would be a photo finish and don’t take any bets. The amusing thing is that last night I refused a Lieutenant Command in the navy to be accomplished immediately. This processing will probably be delayed as everything else is. I have a means of knowing before the board calls me and if everything has failed I’ll go down and enlist just to rob these malicious men of their little triumphs. I have become so much amused by the spectacle that it doesn't seem to be happening to me at all. One of the board members ran against my father for Co Treasurer and lost and has never forgiven us. And one of them had to put in toilets for his farm workers because of the Grapes of Wrath. My sins are coming home to roost. That’s the latest in my war with the U.S." As the affair drags on, he writes, in February of 1943: "I’m pretty fatalistic now about all things military…" and "…My army career seems to be blasted. I guess I’ve really been blackballed. And every time something else is about ready to break the boss of it goes on leave, is transferred or is sent overseas. So I still don't know what I’m going to do. Finished the Lifeboat story and am taking a little rest and loving it. The whole army business is fantastic beyond belief…It is incredible. I know pretty much the whole thing now and it does not make me happy about the future. In fact it is shivery with malice and evil planning…" 4to. In all, 8pp., on plain and ruled paper. Typed letter is slightly darkened but clean, others very good Price: USD 17,500.00 other currencies   order no. 29571    inquire

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