regards,
Tom
R ICHARD W INCHESTER
Winchester Literistic
17 Sutton Place
New York, New York 10021
Thomas Dunne
Thomas Dunne Books
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10010
September 28, 2002
Dear Tom,
Brilliant idea! But try explaining to my client.… At first, of course, she had never heard of F.R., so I soft-pedaled it. Then—for someone who positioned herself as not wanting anything else to do with the project—she flew into action. I don’t know who she called or how they managed to get it together so fast, but within half an hour, she got back to me with full chapter and verse on F.R., including his latest New Yorker essay on—of all people—Jackie.
She wasn’t deterred by the five wives (not even the story of how his last mistress, Lulu von Richthofen, knifed him that Halloween in Buenos Aires) nor by his cocaine period or his Hollywood shenanigans. And, of course, she was impressed (as we knew she would be) by his Pulitzer. His artistic volte-face in the latter years (he must be 79 now?) also impressed her, his renewed scholarship, the Harvard history fellowship, etc., etc. What nearly scuppered the entire deal, though, was his New Yorker characterization of Jackie (which, as luck would have it, her source read to my client) as “a venal woman with acarnal soul.” That incensed her. And although I reminded her that out of all the journalists on the sixties beat, F.R. was unique in that he conducted interviews (for Life) with both Marilyn and Jackie, none of that cut any ice with her.
Strangely enough, Tom, now that she has released the letters, Patty isn’t the least bit protective of Marilyn’s memory, yet is virulently protective—not to say reverential—regarding Jackie’s. I’ve explained to her that—as you and I both agree—the letters don’t reflect remotely negatively on Jackie. Instead, they show her human side, her struggles, her passions, her love for Jack, and her warmth as a woman. Far from desecrating her memory, I think they consecrate it.
In any event, my client wouldn’t allow me to go ahead with F.R. unless I made what she termed as “a sacred promise” that he will not be permitted to make any direct comments on Jackie in the manuscript. I acquiesced, and mollified her further by pledging that we would do our utmost to illuminate the letters by seeking someone close to Jackie to comment on a number of them. I’ll get back to you as soon as I have co-opted a suitable candidate.
In the meantime, perhaps you could sound F.R. out?
Warm regards,
Richard
R ICHARD W INCHESTER
Winchester Literistic
17 Sutton Place
New York, New York 10021
Thomas Dunne
Thomas Dunne Books
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10010
October 21, 2002
Dear Tom,
This entire project seems to be born under a lucky star (as opposed to those relatively unlucky stars … our heroines). Through an amazing series of coincidences, we have been able to obtain limited access to those pages of Jackie Kennedy’s Purple Diary, covering her correspondence with Marilyn.
The Purple Diary has hitherto been in the possession of Evangeline Auchincloss. As chance would have it, Evangeline and my first cousin Poppy Winchester roomed together at Vassar. And once I took the liberty of allowing Poppy to show Evangeline the Secret Letters, she became convinced that she owed it to history—and to Jackie’s memory—to allow Jackie’s diary comments on her correspondence with Marilyn to be published in tandem with the Secret Letters. The relevant pages will be messengered over to you forthwith.
Warm regards,
Richard
R ICHARD W INCHESTER
Winchester Literistic
17 Sutton Place
New York, New York 10021
Patrice Renoir
Apartment 1
The Renaissance
1600 La Brea
Hollywood, California 90069
October 30, 2002
Dear Patty,
Just a note to let you know that The Secret Letters will be published on April 25, 2003! You are about to make history!
Warmest regards,
Richard
THE
Tom
R ICHARD W INCHESTER
Winchester Literistic
17 Sutton Place
New York, New York 10021
Thomas Dunne
Thomas Dunne Books
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10010
September 28, 2002
Dear Tom,
Brilliant idea! But try explaining to my client.… At first, of course, she had never heard of F.R., so I soft-pedaled it. Then—for someone who positioned herself as not wanting anything else to do with the project—she flew into action. I don’t know who she called or how they managed to get it together so fast, but within half an hour, she got back to me with full chapter and verse on F.R., including his latest New Yorker essay on—of all people—Jackie.
She wasn’t deterred by the five wives (not even the story of how his last mistress, Lulu von Richthofen, knifed him that Halloween in Buenos Aires) nor by his cocaine period or his Hollywood shenanigans. And, of course, she was impressed (as we knew she would be) by his Pulitzer. His artistic volte-face in the latter years (he must be 79 now?) also impressed her, his renewed scholarship, the Harvard history fellowship, etc., etc. What nearly scuppered the entire deal, though, was his New Yorker characterization of Jackie (which, as luck would have it, her source read to my client) as “a venal woman with acarnal soul.” That incensed her. And although I reminded her that out of all the journalists on the sixties beat, F.R. was unique in that he conducted interviews (for Life) with both Marilyn and Jackie, none of that cut any ice with her.
Strangely enough, Tom, now that she has released the letters, Patty isn’t the least bit protective of Marilyn’s memory, yet is virulently protective—not to say reverential—regarding Jackie’s. I’ve explained to her that—as you and I both agree—the letters don’t reflect remotely negatively on Jackie. Instead, they show her human side, her struggles, her passions, her love for Jack, and her warmth as a woman. Far from desecrating her memory, I think they consecrate it.
In any event, my client wouldn’t allow me to go ahead with F.R. unless I made what she termed as “a sacred promise” that he will not be permitted to make any direct comments on Jackie in the manuscript. I acquiesced, and mollified her further by pledging that we would do our utmost to illuminate the letters by seeking someone close to Jackie to comment on a number of them. I’ll get back to you as soon as I have co-opted a suitable candidate.
In the meantime, perhaps you could sound F.R. out?
Warm regards,
Richard
R ICHARD W INCHESTER
Winchester Literistic
17 Sutton Place
New York, New York 10021
Thomas Dunne
Thomas Dunne Books
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10010
October 21, 2002
Dear Tom,
This entire project seems to be born under a lucky star (as opposed to those relatively unlucky stars … our heroines). Through an amazing series of coincidences, we have been able to obtain limited access to those pages of Jackie Kennedy’s Purple Diary, covering her correspondence with Marilyn.
The Purple Diary has hitherto been in the possession of Evangeline Auchincloss. As chance would have it, Evangeline and my first cousin Poppy Winchester roomed together at Vassar. And once I took the liberty of allowing Poppy to show Evangeline the Secret Letters, she became convinced that she owed it to history—and to Jackie’s memory—to allow Jackie’s diary comments on her correspondence with Marilyn to be published in tandem with the Secret Letters. The relevant pages will be messengered over to you forthwith.
Warm regards,
Richard
R ICHARD W INCHESTER
Winchester Literistic
17 Sutton Place
New York, New York 10021
Patrice Renoir
Apartment 1
The Renaissance
1600 La Brea
Hollywood, California 90069
October 30, 2002
Dear Patty,
Just a note to let you know that The Secret Letters will be published on April 25, 2003! You are about to make history!
Warmest regards,
Richard
THE
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