Spencer Heath Archive

Item 1476

Carbon of a letter from Heath to Geoffrey Bruun, 1618 Beverly Road, Brooklyn 26, New York.

November 13, 1953

Dear Dr. Bruun:

    In trying to make amends for my many past derelic­tions as a correspondent I came across several very gracious letters from you way back in September, 1945, to which I find no record of having thanked you for or of making any other answer to. Not many persons have taken the trouble to read and reread my manuscript, Citadel, Market, and Altar as you did, much less to pene­trate so far into the heart of the meaning which I greatly endeavored to convey.

     During these past eight years I have been none too diligent in the direction of having my manuscript pub­lished under worthy auspices. I have submitted it to a considerable number of publishers, almost always after having some personal contact or introduction to them in which they have usually asked to see the manuscript. But in every case it has only seemed to go through the conven­tional mill of being referred to a reader having little powers of comprehension and entertaining none but com­mercial considerations.

     My friend John Chamberlain has twice personally sub­mitted my work to Henry Regnery’s office for the personal consideration of Mr. Regnery whom he knows very well. Yet each time it was returned without any indications of having been seen by Mr. Regnery. Mr. Chamberlain has tried a number of times to arrange for a meeting with Mr. Regnery on his flying visits to New York, but without success. For the last two months the manuscript has been in the hands of Devin Adair Garrity. He was greatly impressed with my presentation to him at a luncheon, but his asso­ciates did not encourage his personal attention. However, he was good enough to advise me that he would give it some personal attention during the month of November.

     I am only moved to communicate the above to you by reason of your very cordial reaction and evaluations so long ago, and thinking you might wish to know something of subsequent vicissitudes.

     I am wondering in what fields of artistic or intel­lectual inspiration you have been wandering and what rewarding experiences you have found. I found much pleasure with my very brief association with you and should be very happy if it could be at least occasionally resumed.

     Somewhat lately I have been making something of an exposé of the false ideas towards Land Communism (which of course would include the communization of everything else). This includes distribution of Henry George’s dialectic in that field together with my, as I think, very searching analysis of his economic theory. I am running advertisements in several magazines in accordance with the proof-copy which I enclose, and with limited yet gratifying success. These matters are enclosed for your attention only so far as you may find them of interest, and without obligation to examine them. I might add that I have received from Mr. Mason Gaffney a very manly apology for the first part of his article reproduced from Land & Liberty Magazine of December, 1952, attached with other supplementary material at the end of my “Progress & Poverty Reviewed”.

     With pleasant recollections and best of good wishes I am,

Sincerely yours,