The Complete Prose of T. S. Eliot: The Critical EditionVol. 3: Literature, Politics, Belief, 1927-1929

The Little Review. To the Editor of The Little Review

The Little Review: Quarterly Journal of Art and Letters, 12 (May 1929) 90

I am distressed by your letter. ¹ I have been pallbearer at the funeral of several periodicals and have, like the speaker in Tom Moore’s famous poem, become used to the expectation that anything in which I am interested should die. ² But although I have not had the honour to contribute to The Little Reviewfor some years, it is very hard to have such a landmark disappear. ³ In fact it makes me feel that I am approaching old age. I have, I believe, a complete file of The Little Reviewof the days in which Pound was foreign editor and both he and Lewis and I were occasional contributors, and the serial parts of “Ulysses” were eagerly awaited. ⁴ In those days The Little Reviewwas the only periodical in America which would accept my work, and indeed the only periodical there in which I cared to appear.

If it is certain The Little Reviewis no longer to be controlled by Margaret Anderson and yourself, may I express the hope that it may disappear altogether? The Little Reviewdid stand for so much that was important that I should not like to see the same title used for other purposes.

With all best wishes.

Sincerely yours,

t. s. eliot