Going ahead

Monday, March 14th., Cadogan Square, London.

Lunch with Richmond Temple in a private room at the Savoy. Temple is a director and in charge of publicity for the hotel. I had asked him to the Reform, but he suggested the Savoy because we would be quieter. I wanted to get from him a few general ideas about hotel management here and on the continent, so that I could decide whether it would be practicable, artistically or otherwise, for me to write a 'big' novel with a hotel organism, or two hotel organisms, and probably a hotel manager as the hero. It is a project I have had in mind for some time and I feel I must do it soon, or never.

Temple has imagination and he abounds in ideas. A very cultivated man he has a wide circle of friends, some of whom are known to me. I wonder if he is a homosexual? He may be. Not that it matters. He told me that two or three years ago he 'gave' a car to Siegfried Sassoon to help him to "get more fresh air", which he did. What he didn't say, but which I knew from elsewhere (Wells, I think), was that Sassoon was depressed at the time having been 'chucked' by an American he was having an affair with. Temple is also friendly with Osbert Sitwell and has had something to do with the Savoy Orpheans. He told me lots more interesting things. I make no mention here of them. They are in my head only, and the impression they left is the only important thing to me.

In ninety minutes or less he gave me all the ideas I wanted, and I practically decided to write the book. In truth I had already decided to go ahead, but wanted somebody to tell me it was a good idea. Temple certainly did that. I think he will be disappointed if I don't get it done. A good meeting, but on balance I would rather we had not met in private. I didn't feel entirely comfortable.

On vacation

Sunday, October 10th., Sanclu Hotel, Ramsgate.
 
Yesterday I corrected two articles and a short story, and went for a walk in the morning, and felt that I had had an idle morning. I also read about 50 pages of Osbert Sitwell's first novel, "Before the Bombardment". It is inscribed to "dear, good, uncle Arnold from a nephew". Not an easy read, but then Osbert is not an 'easy' man. Still, nice of him to remember me.

On Delf Street

Drove to Sandwich. A really antique feeling about this place. Streets such as Delf Street. Most curious the moment you begin really to think about it inquisitively. Happily a few barges get there still, up the stream, and seem to live in fields. All churches round here are closed on Sunday. We got into the one at Sandwich because some unfortunate children were imprisoned there for the afternoon service, but the fine church at Minster was closed; reminding me of my Sunday visit to Truro to see the monstrosity of a cathedral there: which was closed entirely.

Literary egos

Thursday, October 2nd., Cadogan Square, London.

Osbert Sitwell lunched with me yesterday at Reform Club. By arrangement Swinnerton joined us. Before lunch Siegfried Sassoon came up and said: "Can I lunch at your table today?" (In pursuance of my reproaches that he would keep by himself in the club) I said: "Certainly. You must. Osbert is coming. Sort of silly feud between him and Osbert which Edith Sitwell told me about some time ago. S.S. drew back but I made him come. A little occasional acerbity in S.S.'s tone at times, but it was quite all right. At the end I made S.S. see Osbert out of the club.

See also 'Lunch with Mad Jack', June 9th., -
http://earnoldbennett.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/lunch-with-mad-jack.html

These petty feuds in the verse world are quite amusing. Osbert is always planning some literary practical joke against someone. Siegfried had stopped speaking to Osbert because (he says) Osbert would never leave him alone. And he stopped speaking to Edith because she wouldn't prevent Osbert doing his tricks. "But what can I do?" said Edith. In revenge Sacheverell Sitwell swore he would never speak to Siegfried again. It appears also that either Siegfried won't speak to Robert Graves or vice-versa. All very odd, and rather childish.

Osbert Sitwell is a satirist of an unusual kind. he is not a contributor to Punch and he is not likely to be. He accepts nothing without the strictest and most hostile examination. he is a fundamental objector, with the bellicose, haughty and ruthless spirit of a Renaissance prince. His artistic existence is a crusade. He can be at once bitter and courtly. He will hand you the poisoned chalice, watch you fall in agony, contemplate your corpse with a bland smile, and go out calmly for a constitutional! He is that sort of man.

Osbert, Edith and Sacheverell Sitwell

The Sitwells (Edith Sitwell, Osbert Sitwell, Sacheverell Sitwell), from Scarborough, North Yorkshire, were three siblings who formed an identifiable literary and artistic clique around themselves in London in the period roughly 1916 to 1930. This was marked by some well-publicised events, the most prominent of which was probably Edith's Façade with music by William Walton, with its public debut in 1923. All three Sitwells wrote; for a while their circle was considered by some to rival Bloomsbury, though others dismissed them as attention-seekers rather than serious artists.

Additionally for October 2nd., see 'Visions' -
http://earnoldbennett.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/sunday-october-2nd.html

Yesterday I had a goodish large notion for the Hilda book - of portraying the droves of the whole sex, instead of whole masculine droves. I think I can do something with this, showing the multitudinous activities of the whole sex, the point of view of the whole sex, against a mere background of masculinity. I had a sudden vision of it. It has never been done.