I like Schuster.very well, and also his father and mother with whom he lives at Sea Cliff, Long Island. His mother produced some Palestine wine for me to drink and his father showed me a bird's nest . . . Durant seems to think that it [Wolf Solent] can only have a 'high-brow' sale, but I have an idea that Schuster in his secret heart, buoyed up by his consciousness of his own lucky star and the unexpected success of the 'Story of Philosophy', has wider hopes. At any rate, for some psychic reason, it undoubtedly hits his own humour and taste very thoroughtly.

(16 August 1928, Letters to His Brother Llewelyn )


SIMON & SCHUSTER



With Wolf Solent (1929) the firm Simon & Schuster took over, and remained Powys's only American publishers until 1940 when Owen Glendower was the last book of Powys to be published in America (until Autobiography was re-published by Colgate University Press in 1967, and more recently three of his major works, by Overlook Press). John Cowper had excellent relations with them, especially with Max Schuster, which developed into friendly intercourse. He also benefited from their lawyer's legal advice about his finances, about a problem with the Treasury about his income tax, and thanks to them Powys's contract with Lee Keedick, his lectures manager at that time, was made less drastic in 1929, insofar as Keedick stopped taking 10% off his Royalties on books. Powys also praised Simon & Schuster for their lavish expenditure on advertisement.

After Powys left America for England, they continued to act as his American publisher for the major works, the first edition of Owen Glendower, in two volumes, being the last book to be published by them. Then all Powys titles were dropped from their list, excepting A Philosophy of Solitude and The Meaning of Culture because these two titles brought in a lot of money.

Jonathan Cape is himself in New York just now. They tell that he is starting an American firm called Jonathan Cape & Harrison Smith.... I had to go and have lunch with him and Schuster (also Mr Fadiman) at the Plaza. Cape said he would bring out the book [Wolf Solent] in Quarto, one volume price 10/6. And he and Schuster have decided on 16 May (Thursday) for the day of simultaneous publication. Does that seem to you to be a lucky-sounding day?
(15 February 1929, Letters to His Brother Llewelyn )