MARCH 1936
Almost Forgotten Germany is finally finished and sent off to the publisher, as is Riding's Convalescent Conversations. Graves writes out a list of questions for lawyer William Fuller, who has agreed to advise on issues of legal procedure in Antigua, Penny, Puce. Korda writes to tell Graves that he will be coming to Majorca in April instead of March. Honor Wyatt's novel draft continues to please Riding and Graves, and Graves is pleasantly surprised
by "unexpectedly good reviews of Tom's novel."1
Riding is working on an editorial for Epilogue, as well as "Suicide" and "Private Conversation."2 She is also reading over Hodge's contribution on philosophy.3 It seems there is more than enough material for the second issue. Graves drafts two
poems this month - one about a murder mystery and one entitled "No One Can Guess."4
Riding dismisses the new maid Isabel, and is not particularly happy with Catalina, the other woman hired to help. But the garden still provides a welcome distraction:
Graves plants plum and cherry trees at C'an Torrent, and is delighted with Gelat's "triumph with the pomegranate. It is showing signs of life at last, when all other
pomegranates are in full leaf. Gelat threatened it only yesterday that if it died
he'd plant it again."
Contact with family and friends this month is frequent and pleasant. Graves' daughter
Jenny writes about her life as a dancer, and Graves' mother tells him that she is writing her "memoirs." Graves himself writes to Catherine and to Mary Phillips, and Riding writes to Honor Wyatt, encouraging her to visit, even if only for a month.
The McCormacks visit regularly, and Graves and Riding also enjoy the company of Kitty and Tony West and Joyce Ford over lunch.
Gelat is becoming more involved in local politics; this month he has an audience with
the Governor of Madrid, various Majorquin deputies, and the Minister of War in an
attempt to gain support for the building of the sea road. At one point, after a few
drinks, Gelat "joked that he was more than a socialist, he was a communist."5
There is one enclosure this month: a list of words (facing the 6th of March).
Editorial Notes
1
The Moon's No Fool eds.
2"Suicide" and "Private Conversation" could be works by RG, or collaboration. Not found
in published works, although "Private Conversation" might be a precursor to "From
a Private Correspondence on Reality" by Riding and Graves, which appeared in Epilogue III. eds.
3"Philosophy and Poetry"? eds.
4Are these two the same poem? It is not clear in the diary. eds.
5In May, Gelat will win the local elections and become mayor of Deyá