The Correspondence of Edith Wharton and Macmillan, 1901-1930, and: Edith Wharton and the Conversations of Literary Modernism (review)

Palgrave Macmillan recently published two slim, information-packed volumes on Edith Wharton. The first is a collection of correspondence between Edith Wharton and her long-time London publisher, Macmillan, particularly with Frederick MacMillan, head of the firm and son of one of its founders. The collection comes with a fine, detailed introduction by its editor, Shafquat Towheed. The second is a well-organized and skillfully argued monograph by Jennifer Haytock on Edith Wharton's engagement with modernity and modernist literature.

In her edition of the Wharton-Macmillan correspondence, Towheed offers a compelling archive of letters from both parties with an introduction providing a rich exploration of its significance for Wharton scholars and students of the history of literary publishing and authorship. Contracted with Scribner's in New York for her American publication, Wharton began essentially republishing her work in London with Macmillan in 1903. This relationship continued until 1923 when she switched to Appleton-Century, an American firm that offered higher financial returns and had an English branch capable of competing with Macmillan. As Towheed's introduction elegantly demonstrates, the relationship between the "gentleman publisher" and the "lady novelist" presents a case study in high-culture literary production. Both came from elite backgrounds and rose to the top of their professions: Macmillan was considered the preeminent man of letters in England, being knighted in 1909 for his service to the nation, and Wharton the preeminent woman of letters in the United States, receiving the Pulitzer Prize in 1921 and an honorary degree from Yale in 1923 (among other honors).

Known for its stable of critically acclaimed authors and its backlist of confirmed classics, as well as for its modern marketing and distribution strategies, the Macmillan publishing house was well suited to Wharton's financial, cultural, and social ambitions. For his part, Frederick Macmillan welcomed Wharton into the inner sanctum of the firm; she became one of those favored writers whose manuscripts did not have to pass the scrutiny of the often-feared house readers. In fact, Towheed notes that virtually all of Wharton's submissions were initially read by Frederick Macmillan himself. Significantly, although Wharton used an agent in her dealings with Scribner's in New York, in England she handled submissions and contract terms directly with Macmillan, a testament to their peer relationship and social ease with each other, as well as to Wharton's considerable business acumen. (Later phases of the publishing process, such as marketing, distribution, and remuneration, were handled according to the firm's usual procedures). Towheed uses this information about Wharton's privileged status, a valuation she shared with other Macmillan authors such as Henry James and Rudyard Kipling, to challenge a recent study by Nina Fortin and Gaye Tuchman, who conclude that women novelists during this period were increasingly "edged out" at Macmillan in favor of men (24). The salient preference at Macmillan, Towheed argues, was actually for authors with a proven critical reputation and the promise of longevity over first-time, untried novelists. This debate will no doubt continue.

Jennifer Haytock's excellent monograph, Edith Wharton and the Conversations of Literary Modernism, is a small book with large implications. Admitting up front that Wharton did not identify herself as a literary Modernist, Haytock nevertheless explores Wharton's engagement with issues that fueled Modernist themes and literary techniques. Her aim is not only to illuminate Wharton's serious grappling with modernity and its dislocations but also to broaden our notions of Modernism to include more conservative and more feminine responses.

Haytock's exploration is presented in six chapters, each dealing with a central issue. Haytock presents a useful overview of the influence of French Impressionism with its emphasis on the subjectivity of perception and interpretation...