O'KEEFE/STIEGLITZ LETTERS [*O'Keefe, Georgia 1935, May - Sept.*] May 1935 (date based on when O'Keeffe had her Appendix removed Henwar had written July 1946) [*Jun/35*] Good Morning Henwar ! I am sitting in the sun on the front porch at Lake George - - The green is all very young and untouched feeling 0 with that faint touch of spring red in the trees that they have as they begin to turn green - I have been here for two days and this is the first morning that it was warm enough and I felt good enough to get myself out there by nine in the morning - It has been really too chilly and windy to sit out at all for more than a few minutes at a time - This morning is lovely - makes me wish to greet you - The apple blossoms are just beginning to come - lilacs too - everything is late this year - It has been sweet of you to write me when I sent the word back to you - I had to smile at your letter before the last one - It was written the day I went to the hospital to have my appendix out - Have been very peevish and cross about being laid up again - Was collecting myself to go West the first week in April - was going to drive and six days before starting went to the doctor because my side was a little sore to the touch and it didn't seem wise to start driving so far with anything wrong - It was so little I wouldn't have gone to the doctor if I had bene staying at home - I saw three doctors - they all agreed so I let them cut me up - I was more than annoyed - I haven't written for so long because there was nothing in me that I wanted to say - to you or to any one - - I just wasn't much - - I begin to feel like a mere strange seed stuck in the ground to grow - I don't know what sort of a plant will grow from it but I feel it will be something different than what was walking around before - maybe I only imagine that - but I feel it quite definitely - No I did not meet your friend - Strand wanted to arrange it - that seemed too incongruous - I was planning to go away at the time and various other things that I will explain to you when I see you - At present I plan nothing very definitely for myself because I can not tell how I will feel but I think I will be alright in three or four weeks at the most I am pretty good now but sure not good for much - and as for dullness - Well - Hollywood may seem dull to you but I rather feel in no position to make any remarks about it considering the way I have been behaving the past couple of years - Im going to do better now - exactly how I do not know. It would be nice if you were here in the sun too, so we could talk - - 'tho I am not caring much to see anyone until I can move and look like something fit to live - I drove myself to town for the mail yesterday - it felt funny - Stieglitz's nieces husband is staying up at the other house with a Hindoo Swami friend - They came down for lunch and supper with me that is a strange performance: ` otherwise I will be alone here for a time - and that I like - I think of you even if I do now write ~ fondly June 31, 1935 [*end of June 35*] Good morning Henwar:! It is the first sunny morning we have had in five days - - The green is all thick and dark and heavy as I see it against the pale blue of the mountain to the north . . . - sitting in my bed - If I get up I'll poke about and do nothing - have intended to write you for days and days and days. Have had a friend here for three weeks - have known her since 1914 - It is amusing that she was on the boat with you when you came back from Brazil - she isn't at all connected with the people I know now and having her here makes it quite another world - it has been very good - This past week we drove over to Maine - It was very hard work for me but I had a suspicion that a lot of my feebleness was imagination - fear - or call it what you will - She drove - went to her house in Portland - 3- drives me - and it doesn't seem worthwhile to work at anything like painting unless you have to - And many of the things are done up in my bundle of reasons that makes me think I must go - What you say of the films you are working on is so far away from me that it seems my imagination could not even work on it - - I wish to keep alive in you the thing that makes you hate it - because of the way you seem to feel about it - - This is the first letter from you that makes me feel that the place and the job are getting to be a little much for you - Of course I keep wondering why your friend doesn't go out to you - and I can imagine too that it is because you will not let her - 4 I am sending you a clipping about Paul from Russia - Ross is on a trip around the world and he sent it to Stieglitz from Russia - send it back to me as I want to return it to Stieglitz - You say you are glad he is alone - - I never saw him with Bobbie so I dont know - He was very forlorn about sailing - didn't want to go where he was all ready - - he never mentioned her to me and I said nothing - He seems to be trying to be secretive in an abnormal fashion that seems funny to me - funny because it isn't natural - a part of bad scar that Beck left on him - - Seeing him was very good because I am very fond of him - I just didn't see any sense in the funny fear he was holding about himself - stayed at a hotel a little south of Ogonquit - - and my absurdly tender feeling stomach was much tougher when I got back here - feel almost normal - I think that in about three weeks I will be good enough to start West - but as usual there are various problems connected with that as I can not say definitely, what I will do - Steiglitz comes up on Saturday for the summer - - leaving him always wrecks me but I'll probably go - if I could only be out there without having the pull of getting away from here - Yes I have your shell - was looking at it yesterday - wondering what I could do with it - even made a vague drawing - trying hard to settle myself here to a plan for work - Thinking of your shell among other things - Here I have to drive myself every inch of the way - out there the country 5-- Of course I know it was because of the way Alfred has hurt him I tried for years to keep Stieglitz from talking of Paul as he did because I knew that people always heard some thing different than what he thought he was saying But things seem to go that way. I wish you could come into my room this morning like the sun and the sound of the birds and the wind through the leaves and grass -- it is very still and very alive -- would be nice to talk -- and I know you would like it -- just looking out the window -- isn't in funny that I think I must go -- My love and my very good wish to you always Henwar -- It is nice that you know about the mountains and the sea and the sun even if you do not have them now -- It is 6 probably part of what makes me like you - Makes me feel it is good to know you are some where walking around in this world July 4, 1935 The night of the Fourth of July - a thin moon and one very bright start in the evening sky and it is hot - the usual mix of fire works up and down the lake - I wonder how you are and what doing - I have been painting for the past week - so thats that Stieglitz came from the city with his insides all upset from irregular eating and rushing about - his tongue very sore from the Doctors dont know what - feeling very badly every way - too bad because he had been very well all winter - I have been busy trying to get him fixed up - - careful diet - and much attention and general sympathy - He is much better - I think of taking myself West as soon as he is well enough - - will see - I am very good again - It is very pleasant and comfortable and quiet here - am I not funny that I do not want to stay - Had a letter from Marie - still at the house up in Canada - I asked her long ago to stop by on her way down - She says they are held up building a corduroy road to get the car out - she intends to be at the Ranch late in July - - I would like to see her - After mailing my last letter to you I remembered that I forgot my Air Mail stamp - pretty slow of me - I haven't much to say except that I think of you Fondly Georgia - July 22, 1935 I start West in the morning -- Monday -- July 22 [*/35*] driving -- Yes it will be hot Alfred is better -- I am fine I plan to be either at Maries or the Ghost -- address me Espanola if you write G. July - Aug. 1935 [*July - August 1935*] Back at the H. and M. - that seems strange to call it that now - It is good to be here - Plan to be here for about three more weeks and then go up to the Ghost again. The trip out was fine - Loren Mozley drove with me - we got on very well - and I am glad to be here - and feeling fine - Paul is as ever - it is good to see him again - May I have one of the pictures Ed Scott took of you in front of the Stop sign? I like it - Will you be coming this way any time soon? And how are you? Paul and I speak of you every day - and wish for a look at you - G Sept. 1935 PIEDRA LUMBRE CATTLE COMPANY GHOST RANCH ABIQUIU, NEW MEXICO [*Sept/35*] TELEGRAPH: ESPANOLA, NEW MEXICO Henwar! Very good your letter - I wrote you long ago that I received the photograph - and think I offered to send you onw of me if you want it - or if you keep your baggage light Ill give it to you some other time if you want it - I couldn't send it till I get back East any way - and if you want it tell me what you want if you ever saw any you liked - I am glad that you had your vacation and that you had it the 3 Sept in the woods up there between those two towns - and went on to Taos in the morning - The road is awful - The night was lovely - Every am in Taos seems inside a [?funny?] cage to me - I don't like it - Caught Margery Content and Jean Toomer on their way East. I am so very fond of Margery - seeing her is always a very nice warm spot - I am painting big sunflowers against the sky - quite gay and foolish - It makes me quite sure I am alright again - Good night to you Fondly - very fondly - I'm going to look for your girl friend when I get to town in November - PIEDRA LUMBRE CATTLE COMPANY GHOST RANCH ABIQUIU, NEW MEXICO TELEGRAPH: ESPANOLA, NEW MEXICO way you could as if you had it is good - I would have liked to see you - but everything is alright this way. I am feeling very good - and having a very good time - like it here - like the people - working quite steadily - Was so out of the swing of working that I rather imagine I'll have to do an awful lot of painting to really get back into it again - but I am getting there - Have gone on some amusing trips - the craziest was the night the moon was full going up to Taos by way of Truchas and Trampas - Transcribed and reviewed by contributors participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.