Dear
Mr Grant Richards: You tell me that the
printer to whom you sent my story
Two Gallants before you read it yourself refuses to
print it and therefore you ask me to
suppress it or to
modify it in such a way as to enable it to pass. I cannot see my way to do either of these things. I have written my
book with
considerable care, in spite of a
hundred difficulties and in
accordance with what I understand to be the
classical tradition of my
art. You must therefore allow me to say that your printer's
opinion of it does not interest me in the least. Moreover, I cannot
alter the passages which are marked in blue
pencil in the story
Counterparts nor can I suggest any other word than the word
'bloody' for the story
Grace
I intended to send you today the fourteenth and last story of the book, A Little Cloud which is now ready. I shall not do so, however, until I hear from you in reply: and I am also retaining the MSS of the two stories which you sent me. If in your next letter you tell me that you can see your way to print my book as I have written it and that you have found a printer who will endanger his immortal soul to that extent I shall then send you the three stories together. If you decide differently you can send me back the other eleven stories and we can consider the matter at an end. Naturally, I should be sorry if our relations ended in such a way. It would be almost a disaster to me but I am afraid the service which you ask me to do for your printer's conscience is not in my power.
Correspondence Regarding Joyce's "Dubliners":
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