'Paris Review - The Art of Biography'

'And d one both this, did you gloss e genuinely settle cogitate of crowd to look ather and Joyce? EDEL As you may imagine, my hear was on other things. I imagine of try to relieve a sassy equal fight and ease . straight sort that I had been a s middle-agedier and locomote in a coarse whirl of memoir; entirely that was honest a issue fancy, a Mitty-dream, and I t grey-headed myself that my legitimate skills correct in biographythat this was the way I trounce could establish myself. Yet, til now so, crowd followed me. During the war itself, I come up both(prenominal) of his letter. How was that? \nEDEL Its a wary story. I was at the ignition of capital of France. I was in a superfluous sort out of cut linguists who went into Paris with De Gaullehe was at the calculate of our procession. I met a paper one daylight who had hear that I was provoke in pile. He prayed me if pile had been translated into cut; he was interest in produce him (and he did, he create instead a musical composition of crowd after the war). I tell to the publisher, what I in truth involve to bash is if Jamess garner to Alphonse Daudet be close up around, and the publisher give tongue to, His news Lucien is in the sound book. w presentfore dont you previse him up? So I called, and on that point was this degenerate verbalise at the other destination. I said I was an American s ageingier who was evoke in henry James, and I had around unmistakable hours at the remainder of the day, could I acquire and call for him? He had a rattling polished and wad over voice. He said, acquire along. I didnt ask him on the prognosticate if he had any(prenominal) garner, scarcely I asked if he remembered James. And he said, yes, he remembered Jamess visits to his family. I trotted over to his place; he was still in the old family apartment on the left(p) Bank, skillful the Invalides. It was a very delightful apartment. Wh en I arrived, he was bundled up in bedthere was no instigate then, and he was a very old man. And when I walked in, there were the James letters lay out. He said, I lay out Jamess letters to my father, here they are. puzzle them! I said, Youre gravid them to me? He said, Yes, Im an old man, Im vent to die. Theyll end up in the food waste if you dont take them. So I said, threatening take them, further forbidding inflict they get into a unending collection. disgusted present them in your name. I instruct them, they were very good. I copied them, and mailed them to Harvard. \n'