July 7th, Sunday. Bullfight

To Posada, Antonio & Paco, Murcianos1, laying s[RG] clearing cement of stones in patio. Put up mirrors etc. Found a[RG] lavatory seat cover. On return went over Tom's novel. Solomon has dysentry.
To Palma in new car with Honor, Gordon, Julian, Mary, Joan; Laura, Karl, Juan. Belmonte, Lalanda, Cayetano (Niño de la Palma)2. Fair haired girl slightly hurt by taxi in Calle Arabi3; on the way to Alhambra. Juan pessimistic about bull-fight. We all felt that something would happen to Belmonte.
His first bull, black, awkward, knowing. A few passes & Belmonte got tossed. Thought he was killed but not blood, only the red of his coat (covered with lace work except in two patches). Tried to fight but gave up because of the pain. Lalanda finished the bull which was hissed. President's fault for not allowing the picadors4 to tire the bull. ×××× [crossed out] Belmonte himself complaining. Also Belmonte was clearly in bad form pale, perhaps affected by the sea-voyage. Lalanda's second bull bad too; only bright spots: Lalanda's unusually energetic work in second bull, some banderilleroing5 of Cayetano's and one or two good things in his first bull. Two nice mariposas6 by Lalanda, and one in rivalry by Cayetano whom we didn't like. Last bull was Cayetano's. He messed it and we came away before the kill.
Letter from Korda: Claudius delayed owing to Laughton's illness until Feb. or March. And it was owing to Arnie Lawrence that he didn't continue plan of scenario with me. Wrote to him; all right. But asked him to answer Laura about Fantasia, Troy & No Decency Left. Wrote to H.S. asking him whether I should continue C.F.V. If he cabled, I would.
In a moment of bullfight emotion Laura broke her topaz & diamond ring. Didn't notice it until an hour later: solid,too.

Editorial Notes

2 Toreros: bullfighters. KG
3a very steep Palma street. KG
4riding masters. eds
5 "banderillero" refers to the thrower of "banderillas": one metre sticks covered in coloured paper with a barb on the end, which are stuck in the bull's neck. WG
6passes. KG

Hands Referenced

    • Annotation: ink correction
    • Character: regular
    • Ink: black

Places Mentioned

  • Palma

    Palma, Majorca, Sp
    Capital and largest centre of Majorca.

  • 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.

  • Alhambra

    Palma, Majorca, Sp
    One of the best Palma hotels. WG

People Mentioned

  • Laura

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

  • Karl/Carl

    Goldschmidt, Karl
    Karl Goldschmidt, later Kenneth Gay: Graphic artist, friend and secretary of Robert Graves and Laura Riding since 1934. R. G. spells both as Carl and Karl.

  • 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).

  • Arnie

    Lawrence, A.W. (Arnie)
    T.E. Lawrence's brother and executor. WG

  • Gordon

    Glover, Gordon
    Married to Honor Wyatt. WG

  • Julian

    Glover, Julian
    Honor & Gordon's baby. WG

  • Mary

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

  • Joan

    Joan
    Surname? Julian Glover's nurse-maid. She stayed behind at the Viña Vieja when they moved up to the Posada. Was sent left-over cakes and ice-cream. WG

  • Korda

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

  • Tom

    Matthews, T.S.(Tom)
    American journalist. Took sabbatical from TIME and arrived in Deyá in 1930. Involved from then on with L.R. and R.G. WG

  • Antonio the Murcian

    Antonio
    Antonio and his wife Carmen, parents of Paco, who worked as a mason, and the servant girls Isabel and Josefa, were immigrants from Murcia, a province in Spain. W.G. & eds.

  • Paco

    Paco (mason, son of Antonio and Carmen)
    Son of the Murcians Antonio and Carmen. Worked as a mason. WG

  • Murcians

    Murcians
    There were at least two families of immigrants from Murcia in the village. Antonio and Carmen, parents of Paco who worked as a mason, and the servant girls Isabel and Josefa. Maria Murciana was from a different family. WG

  • Juan

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

  • Young Belmonte

    Belmonte
    "young Belmonte," related to Juan Belmonte the bullfighter, either son: Juanito, or younger brother: Manuel. eds.

  • Mme Loyard

    Loyard, Madame
    woman from Montaubon, worked for RG & LR at La Chevrie eds.

  • Laughton

    Laughton, Charles
    Actor. Was to play 'Claudius' in the film version of R.G.'s book, "I, Claudius".

Organizations Mentioned

  • Harrison Smith and Robert Haas

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

Bibliography

    • Title: Claudius Film Version [The Fool of Rome] [a condensed novel based on I, Claudius]
    • Author: Graves, Robert
    • Title: Claudius [the film: based on I, Claudius, directed by Alexander Korda, starring Charles Laughton. It was never completed.]
    • Title: Fantasia [became A Film Scenario (Fantasia of Life), by Laura Riding]
    • Author: Riding, Laura/Lye, Len
    • Editor: Riding, Laura, Graves, Robert (Associate Editor)
    • PubPlace: Deyá & London
    • Publisher: Seizin & Constable
    • BiblScope: 162-189
    • Idno: B24
    • Date: 1936
    • Title: Trojan Ending, A [novel]
    • Author: Riding, Laura
    • PubPlace: Deyá & London
    • Publisher: Seizin & Constable
    • Date: 1937
    • Title: No Decency Left
    • Author: Rich, Barbara [Graves, Robert/ Riding, Laura]
    • PubPlace: London
    • Publisher: Jonathon Cape
    • Idno: A38
    • Date: 1932