June 5th Wednesday.

Got up at 6.30: posted Korda letter. Juan & electricista1 mended Mesquida light. Wrote to Ros, Mother, Gamage about ×××× Dinghy2 for Sam from Laura; dictated three letters to Mary P. - Gamage about overcharge, H.S. about C.F.V. [Claudius Film Version] serialization, title, stills; Dulan ordering Andersens Walpole3, Gaskell4. To Posada with young Miguel - gave him orders for three windows and their shutters, & Antonio de Ca's Pintat [sic: Antonio Cas Pintada], orders for two doors. Five men working there.
Everyone typing Focus-stuff: my job, dictating illegible hands.
In evening went to conjuring show in old Café: cigarette swallowing, card tricks, auction of raffle tickets for a bottle of estomocal5 - Honor won.
Gelat told us the story of how the Médico & Juan6 were intending to claim by right of "retracto"7 the Can Madó [sic: Can Medo] land and fountain. He can get out of this by a trick. And he can turn the tables by claiming to buy Molí at the price paid - put as 25,0008, really 75,000... - as the previous renter of the property: a new law. And will do so to pay for his 'dolores de cabeza'9.

Editorial Notes

1electrician. KG
2Fold-boat? KG
3Horace Walpole. KG
4Mrs.Gaskell. KG
5bitter. KG
6Juan of Molí. KG
7redemption. KG
8pesetas
9headaches. KG

Hands Referenced

Places Mentioned

  • Posada, La

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    House on the Puig next to Deyá church. Originally part of the Es Molí property. It had been rented by the church for Sunday school. RG and LR bought it in February, 1935, to use as a guest house for their visitors. WG, eds.

  • Mesquida

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    The dining room in Canellun was called the Mesquida after a painting hanging in it. WG

  • Gamage

    London, England
    London department store. KG Large toy shop. WG

  • Old Café

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    Run by Margarita the Butcher, and mainly consisted of a table outside the butcher shop. Most frequented by LR & RG until the Sala (Concordia) was built by Gelat. WG

  • Ca'n Madó

    Majorca, Sp
    Old flour mill, on the road to Palma, converted into a hydro-electric plant by Gelat. Laura bought him a generator. Part of the orchard was bought by LR & RG. WG

  • Molí, Es

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    Large estate which Gelat divided up and sold for the owner. The farm-house was bought by Juan Mayol. RG & LR bought the Posada, Es Piñets and part of Ca'n Madó. WG

People Mentioned

  • Laura

    Riding, Laura
    (1901-91) American poet. Laura Riding (née Reichenthal; then Laura Gottschalk).

  • Gelat

    Más, Juan Marroig
    Juan Marroig Mas, called Gelat: Landowner on Deyá and friend of Robert Graves and Laura Riding (L.R. & R.G.'s factotum. W.G.)

  • Médico

    Vives, Antonio Dr.
    The village doctor (Deyá). At odds with Gelat (water rights controversy). His brother, Juan Vives, was Gelat's son-in-law. WG

  • Ros

    Cooper, Rosaleen Dr.
    Dr. Rosaleen Cooper, R.G.'s sister. W.G.; husband Jim, sons Dan, Roger & Paul RPG.

  • A.G. (A.E.S.G)

    Graves, Amy
    Amy Graves, RG's Mother. WG

  • Korda

    Korda, Alexander
    Director of the film version of I Claudius.

  • Mary

    Phillips, Mary
    Visitor. Typed most of I, Claudius. Later married James Reeves. WG

  • Honor

    Wyatt, Honor
    Journalist. Arrived in Deyá fortuitously. Married to Gordon Glover...Son Julian. W.G. First acquainted with R.G. and L.R. early in 1934; returned to visit in 1935; continued friendship in England. eds (RPG 211).

  • Juan

    Mas, Juan Marroig
    Usually refers to Gelat's son, sometimes to Gelat himself. WG

  • Sam

    Graves, Samuel
    R.G.'s youngest child by Nancy Nicholson. C.P.& WG

  • Dulan

    Dulan
    Dealer in antique engravings, books. London? WG

  • Miguel

    Miguel
    One of four village carpenters. Others were Miguel Junior, Francisco and Antonio de Ca's Pintat. WG

  • Antonio de Ca's Pintat

    Antonio de Ca's Pintat
    Carpenter. Francisco of Ca l'Abat's son. WG

  • Juan of Molí

    Mayol, Juan
    Owner of the Es Molí farmhouse. Involved in a local water rights controversy with the Señor of Sa Pedrissa, the Médico and others. R.G. records the on-going confict in his diary over a span of several months in 1935. KG & eds.

Organizations Mentioned

  • Harrison Smith and Robert Haas

    R.G.'s American publisher for I, Claudius and Claudius the God. eds.

Bibliography

    • Title: Focus I, II, III, IV [newsletter]
    • Editor: Riding, Laura
    • PubPlace: Deyá
    • Publisher: Seizin
    • Date: 1935
    • Title: Claudius Film Version [The Fool of Rome] [a condensed novel based on I, Claudius]
    • Author: Graves, Robert