#pascal covici

[shesadhernamewascinderella]

Dragi Pite,

Naleteo si na mene dok sam deljao nekakvu figuricu od drveta i rekao "Što ne napraviš nešto za mene?"

Upitao sam šta bi želeo, a ti si rekao "Kutiju."

"Za šta?"

"Da u nju staviš stvari."

"Kakve stvari?"

"Što god imaš", rekao si.

E pa, evo tvoje kutije. Gotovo sve što imam je u njoj, a nije puna. U njoj su bol i uzbuđenje, i dobra i loša osećanja, i zle i dobre misli, zadovoljstvo crtanja i neko očajanje i neopisiva radost stvaranja.

A povrh ovoga i sva zahvalnost i ljubav koje osećam prema tebi.

A ipak, kutija nije puna.

Džon

[partgirlpartrant]

John Steinbeck’s dedication to Pascal Covici for East of Eden

Dear Pat,

You came upon me carving some kind of little figure out of wood and you said, “Why don’t you make something for me?”

I asked you what you wanted, and you said, “A box.”

“What for?”

“To put things in.”

“What things?”

“Whatever you have,” you said.

Well, here’s your box. Nearly everything I have is in it, and it is not full. Pain and excitement are in it, and feeling good or bad and evil thoughts and good thoughts - the pleasure of design and some despair and the indescribable joy of creation.

And on top of these are all the gratitude and love I have for you.

And still the box is not full.

John

[classicpenguin]

Today would have been the 130th birthday of one of the all-time great editors, Pascal Covici, who worked with Steinbeck, Miller, Bellow, Jackson, and so many other legendary authors. Above, you’ll see a few of the dedication pages in books by his authors. The first, of course, is Steinbeck’s painfully beautiful dedication for East of Eden (Steinbeck actually sent him the manuscript in a wooden box!). The rest, from left to right, are found in Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Saul Bellow’s Herzog, and Steinbeck’s The Moon is Down. An editorial role model if there ever was one!

[allieinarden]

I am dawdling even more today because the window washer is here and there is a really slow man. But my time is up. I hope you have enjoyed Cathy so far. You are going to see more and more of her for a while. There's so much to write. Christ, this is going to be a long book. Such a long book. I think the window washer is nearly finished in my room so I will go back to my dear Cathy.

John Steinbeck, writing to his editor Pascal Covici while hard at work on East of Eden 

[ledgerwritingpodcast]

Happy birthday John Steinbeck!

A little bit ago I read Journal of a Novel: The East of Eden Letters by John Steinbeck. It's the journal he kept while writing that particular novel. He would write a letter to his editor, Pascal Covici, and then write his manuscript in the same journal.

It is one of the most influential and memorable books I've ever read. Today being Mr. Steinbeck's birthday, I thought I'd go through and post the sections I highlighted, underlined, my margin notes, etc. - but as I did this I realized I didn't want to rob anyone of their own experience finding little pieces of inspiration.

So here are some of my notes, but nowhere near all of them. I got kind of obsessed with Steinbeck's self-doubt, and the idea that one of the greatest writers to ever live shared thoughts and emotions that I've experienced.

That one is most likely my favorite quote from the entire book, maybe even one of my favorite quotes ever. The next one though...

...that one manages to make me both happy AND sad, so yeah, nice work Steinbeck, writing all this amazing poetical stuff in your freaking journal.

[fleurmach]

a telegram from dorothy Dorothy Parker, with writer’s block, sent this telegram to her editor, Pascal Covici, as she couldn't bring herself to look him “in the voice.”

[this-is-dedicated]

**John Steinbeck's dedication to his editor, Pascal Covici, in _East of Eden_** While writing _East of Eden_, Steinbeck warmed up by writing a letter to his friend and editor in his notebook. These letters are collected in [_Journal of a Novel: The East of Eden Letters_](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0140144188/wwwaustinkleo-20/ref=nosim/). You can read the last letter in the batch over at _Letters of Note_. As for the dedication, here's some info from [Oprah.com](http://www.oprah.com/oprahsbookclub/Fast-Facts) (of all places, I know): >[Steinbeck] often mentioned the things he was tinkering with or building around the house. At one point, Pat asked Steinbeck to make him a box; Steinbeck joked that the only specification was that Pat shouldn't be able to fit inside it. > >When Steinbeck finished _East of Eden_, he placed his 250,000 word manuscript into a mahogany box he had carved and sent it to Pat. The note he placed on top became the dedication page of the novel. There's a book about the friendship called [_Steinbeck and Covici_](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0930751361/wwwaustinkleo-20/ref=nosim/).

[caradelaluna]

Dear Pat, You came upon me carving some kind of little figure out of wood and you said, "Why don't you make something for me?" I asked you what you wanted, and you said, "A box." "What for?" "To put things in." "What things?" "Whatever you have," you said. Well, here's your box. Nearly everything I have is in it, and it is not full. Pain and excitement are in it, and feeling good or bad and evil thoughts and good thought--the pleasure of design and some despair and the indescribable joy of creation. And on top of these are all the gratitude and love I have for you. And still the box is not full.

John Steinbeck's dedication to Pascal Covici in "East of Eden"