Letter to “Literature of the Revolution” Magazine n/d
transcribed/research/collected by antoinette nora claypooleLetter to “Literature of the Revolution” Magazine
Dear Friend
I have just been reading your article in number 4 of the Literature of the Revolution Magazine entitled “The Literary Method of John Reed”. An extremely interesting critique whether one agrees with it or not. Curiously enough Rudyard Kipling called Reed’s stories from Mexico the best reporting in the English language.
You have a sentence towards the end of your article which reads: “We know that this hero had a wife, Louise Bryant that there were all sorts of
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troubles and difficulties, but all the same Reed did not allow himself to be depleted by them from his description of the revolutionary movement.” Isn’t this a bit confusing? One might imagine the difficulty was with me. On the contrary I shared all of Jack’s revolutionary activities going through the fighting lines and reaching Moscow a month before he died, I stayed in the typhus hospital with him and I worked in the Foreign Office for nearly a year after that.
I was with him through all the famous Ten Days and have the first pass(sp) issued by the Military Revolutionary Committee.
The first edition of “ten Days that Shook the World" did not carry the Lenin introduction. I brought it back with me to America after Jack’s death and
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got in a Famine Edition. The book cost $100 -- $50 went to costs for publication and 50$ to the Russian Famine Relief.
During the time that Jack was actually at work on this I was out speaking from one end of America to the other against Military Intervention by the Allies. All money taken at these lectures went for Famine Relief. The lectures brought from $1000 to $10,000 a night. I spoke for nearly two months starting in Washington
All proceeds of John Reed books I turned over to Russian orphanages. If these funds have been used otherwise it is not to my knowledge.
John Reed and I were comrades
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and friends as well as lovers we never quarrelled and were deeply fond of each other after a life time of friendship. When he died I sent you two poems of Reeds written to me to give you a more intimate impression.
I would be pleased if in some manner you can clear up the expression of your words in this article.
Sincerely
L. B.
(below the intials, a handwritten, full name signature “Louise Bryant” )
source:
Louise Bryant Papers (MS 1840). Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University Library.from upcoming book: Flowers of Bronze: the Auto/Biography of Louise Bryant (1885-1936)
