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Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to Louis Umfreville Wilkinson
30 Nov 45
Very dear Louis
C'est le comble cela! You seem to me worthy to join the Characters of Ibsen—or Aristophanes!—'the Bean-Spiller". I had been so careful—got my dear old ex-driver to mother the Brat—used the note-paper of the Mitre at Oxford (Yours came too late. I am very quick on the draw when I see my target. The story was mailed on Monday.) —ay de mi! Hang it all, you said as plain as plain: Nightmare fantasies. The—doubtless my style is so bad that no pseudonym would deceive anyone who knew it—but are there 100 people in the country who do? Surely 500 would be a wild exaggeration. Consider the exiguity of the editions and the small number sold even of those. Squire e.g. obviously has done no more than dip into one volume (or say two) else he would know better. I exclude my Magick work: the circulation of that, absurdly enough, is much larger. Then I "know for a fact" that the "younger generation" hardly know my name. And they are all somehow frightened (is it?) e.g. I sent Mrs. Koo "City of God" and Lady Kenmare "The Fun of the Fair" asking specially what they thought. Not a word! Not even the politeness of acknowledgement!! It is surely very strange. Can you suggest an explanation? Couple all that with the fact that no publisher or editor will look at anything of mine: that dates, mind you, from the start. Only exceptions: William Collins—who broke their contract after issue of No I—The Mandrake [Mandrake Press]—Frank Harris—Austin Harrison. These all due to personal contact. U.S.A. same story. Ditto France and Germany. Is it that it is really all so bad, or (shall we say?) so alien from the public taste, and instantly recognizable as such as the first glance? These long-drawn squeals are not wounded vanity, or pinched purse, or anything but plain bewilderment at the queerness of it all. You have also to reckon with the crazy enthusiasm of the few. There is one bitter personal enemy who proclaims wildly that I am the only English poet who ranks with Shakespeare!!! A fact. Most extraordinary of all, perhaps: I have never been able to find anyone in a position to take action who sees the unique opportunity to exploit the situation. There has never been so much free publicity, and so much material, new and old, to draw on. Excuse my being a bore! I have fixed your arrival for Friday; that is really good news.
Love is the law, love under will
Yours
Aleister
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