Tape 12 -- Side A -- Letters to Carson McCullers from John L Brown and and Simone -- 28 minutes and 27 seconds Sullivan's Label: 12a - Side 1 - Letters to Carson - Letters John and Simone Brown [John Lackey Brown (1914-2003) and his wife Simone were friends of both Carson and Reeves McCullers. John had a long career with the Department of State. His papers are at the archives of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.] All the letters on this tape are from John and/or Simone and are addressed to Carson and/or Reeves, unless otherwise noted. The effects of the McCarthy-inspired purge of the Department of State caused by the activities of Senator Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee touch the Browns in 1953 and are frequently referred to, as well as Carson's departure from France and separation from Reeves, and his deterioration over the course of 1953 culminating in his death on November 19 of that year. Sullivan reads, "This is a series of letters having to do with the death of Reeves, but I'm going to read some happier letters first from John and Simone Brown. He was with the Foreign Service of the United States of American in France." August 10th, 1950 from the Browns to Carson and Reeves. John described his family's August vacation situation, with Simone and the children in the mountains above a river and him on Mount Parness. He enclosed a "rather idiotic" review of The Member of the Wedding and tells them that Carl Brooks is very interested in bringing out her short stories, and remains hopeful about her new novel "in utero", saying "all seems sweetness and light on the HM [Houghton Mifflin] front". He is looking forward to the month of September in the Dordogne region of France where he hopes to finish a study of local domed churches and the Byzantine influence in France. He also hopes to reread some favorite books and study Dante and not look at a newspaper for the entire time. He asks Carson for a copy of her poems. December 31, 1950 (postcard) wishing Reeves and Carson a happy new year for 1951 Good Friday evening, 1951 saying that although they had not had much time together, the McCullers had seemed much more like family that their "real" families, and they looked forward to seeing more of them in the future. He describes an idyllic day in the French countryside, gathering eggs from their hens and ducks for breakfast, walking in the fields full of daffodils, visiting a nearby chateau and a 9th century church in the village, remarking on the contrast to the turmoil going on in Paris, just 15 miles away with the on-going strikes of railway workers, bus drivers, subway workers and even of the undertakers. He describes a recent tour he had made through eastern France and Belgium lecturing on recent American novelists (much of it focused on her works). He says that they hope to be in the U.S. in September on home leave and that he longs to smell the air of Times Square and ride on a Fifth Avenue bus. He closes saying that he hopes the moon is shining as brightly in Nyack as it is where they are. December 31, 1951 poem dedicated to Carson, "Remembering the Nyack Symposium" February 19, 1953 note on U.S. Information Service stationary enclosing a magazine article letter dated "Sunday" from Simone on stationary from Houghton Mifflin's Paris offices. Simone says she hopes Carson won't mind the stationary, but it was among her father's things. She says that they have received Rita's letter and are happy to hear that Carson is recovering and that what she needs is a long rest. She has asked Madame Joffre to pack and send Carson's books to Nyack, but that there may be a delay due to lack of money. She also mentions Carson's trunks which Madame Joffre and M. Levy [the McCullers' housekeeper and man-servant at their French home] have delivered to the Browns with instructions to forward to Nyack as well. Simone is concerned about some of the things to be shipped, such as silverware, porcelain and her clothing. There may be a heavy duty to get the silver through customs. She is also concerned that the porcelain is not packed well enough for shipment. They have, of course, not opened the trunks but want to know that it is well packed before they ship it. The clothes also will require a detailed listing to indicate that it belongs to Carson and thus will not subject to duties. The boys are well. "Today is John Brown Jr.'s 5th birthday, Papa is still working on his book, the dogs are being sweet" October 11, 1953 acknowledging her letter of the 5th. He will go to the embassy and make a sworn statement that he had seen the silver "on the sideboard and the flat silver in use in your home in Nyack. Reeves is coming on Wednesday to make a list of everything in your trunk and then will go to American Express to carry out the necessary formalities for shipping. There is a strong possibility that we may be returning to the United States within a couple of months and we may be able to bring these things with us. If we do, is there a possibility of renting the top floor of your house in Nyack until we know what we will do? With all the changes in the government nobody here really knows what is going to happen." October 13, 1953 letter from Simone saying that Reeves had come down on Wednesday to take care of shipping the trunk. He felt that Carson especially wanted the polychrome angel and he took it to the post office and sent it to Carson via airmail. The rest of the contents of the trunk will be shipped by American Express October 27, 1943 [sic, but from the content it is clearly from 1953] saying that they hope that Carson is feeling better and that the wooden angle has arrived safely. Reeves was there for several days and they have shipped a trunk with Carson's silver and her clothes. John is waiting for a phone call from Reeves about the other items. John also tells Carson that he has heard from Madame Joffre that M. Levy is recovering slowly from his car accident and has bouts of amnesia. Also they are annoyed because they have not been paid in 4 months and they are running short of money. Reeves is drinking heavily these days and that is another cause for concern. November 10, 1953 from John saying "Reeves has not done anything that he promised to do, consequently Simone is coming to Paris today to go make the arrangements herself. They will be shipped by rail to Le Havre thence to New York. . . The injustice, the intrigue, the dirty political deals have saddened me beyond saying. I don't know yet where we will go . . . we'll come out of this but it will leave scars and I don't know if I'll ever regain a belief in human beings and a sense of joy in the world November 14, 1953 saying, "Carson, darling, your letter was an oasis in the desert we are now crossing". . . "We have not seen Reeves for some time". . .his "telephone has been taken out for the obvious reason and that makes it all the more difficult to keep in touch. Simone is doing everything for the shipment of the trunks. The movers are coming on Tuesday to take them to the American Express in Paris." Their plans are to stay until the first of the year, while his book is launched, but "the bureaucratic atmosphere we are living in stifles joy. It is an atmosphere of pussyfooting, of dread, of denunciation of the most despicable pettiness. It is a mixture of Kafka and Ubu-Roi . . . If you or Rita know of any openings in publishing, do let me know" letter dated "Monday evening" from the early 1960s from John Brown addressed to" dearest Carson" thanking her for a weekend at Nyack and describing how Alex drove him into town. He went in to Mademoiselle and paid a ceremonial visit to Cyrilly [Abels]. Rita escorted him into the Presence. As a matter of fact Cyrilly was nice and interested. He was off to Washington but would return on Saturday and then "we will all descend on you like a hoard of Visigoths and Ostrogoths", he also adds love to Marielle and Mary "I liked them both so much" and "I'll find out about the Russian business in Washington". Tape 12 - Side B - Letters to Carson McCullers about Reeves' Death -- 30 minutes and 24 seconds Sullivan's Label: 12b Letters to Carson - Reeves's death letters Margaret Sullivan reading the letters connected with Reeves death. "Saturday" [probably November 21, 1953, just after Reeve's suicide on Thursday] letter from Bob [probably Bob Meyers] saying "Up until now Mr. Porter hasn't had anything more to say about the release of Reeves from the official medical officers. As we have explained, inasmuch as he was discovered in the hotel some hours later, there is always the question of determining the exact cause of death. We can do nothing about finalizing the services until then. Janet [Flanner] and John [Brown] both to be here all this week. They say they can be ready at a moment's notice. We shall probably have to hold the services in the morning because of cremation needs. I shall cable the exact time. Monique and Richard Richt [?] have phoned and will be here. About Bachivillers, they too will know. Shall I call Sarah Morris [?]. All of us here feel badly about the whole thing, in spite of the troubles Reeves gave us the whole year. Don't forget, they were real problem to him, too. He was mentally sick and we must all look at it from that angle. I shall write in more detail about the service. Incidentally I can't find a reference to a Bach double concerto other than the one in D for two violins. Is that it? Saturday, December 5, 1953 from Janet Flanner, describing the funeral service for Reeves in the American church, with John L. Brown reading the 23rd Psalm. She described the flowers, mentioned the preacher's biblical passages, named those who attended, including Truman [Capote?], and the interment ceremony in the American Legion cemetery in Neuilly. She also mentioned that the McCullers' housekeeper was there, and will call her in a day or two about the dogs. Flanner said that Reeves had been a brave soldier and this was the end of his war, adding that perhaps the war had played its part and destroyed his resistance to ordinary life. "There were surely none of us who did not weep for him. . . we all felt forgiveness and pity and fondness and human love. . .I can't write more. His disappearance and absence from your scene must give you the liberty for work, which is your inheritance from him now" November 23, 1953 from Simone Brown sending their condolences and telling McCullers of the progress of shipping her 4 trunks and getting the export licenses, damage insurance, etc. relating to them. Simone will send the keys separately November 22, 1953 probably from Ira and Edith Morris extending sympathy and hoping to see Carson in December November 25, 1953 from Ferry (or maybe Jerry) sending love and sympathy sympathy note mailed on November 26, 1953 from Muriel Rickhauser November 27, 1953 sympathy note from Bob and Vivian Crozier letter dated "Saturday" from Natalie Murry, of Contadori Publishing, expressing sympathy and saying that Reeves' death was his great gift to Carson November 29, 1953 sympathy note from Dorothy D. Harvey November 30, 1953 letter from Mary Tucker, offering sympathy and inviting McCullers to come visit them in Lexington, Virginia undated sympathy note from H. Wittle "Bill" Fitelson Dec 1, 1953 letter on NY Times stationary from John P. Callahan in Karachi, Pakistan expressing sympathy sympathy note mailed December 1, 1953 from Lillian Hellman (Margaret Sullivan comments that there is another of those Xerox messages that says that in New York and/or in Texas all this material has been Xeroxed, adding "I hope that is true") December 5, 1953 sympathy note from Newton Arvin sympathy letter mailed December 8, 1953, from Howard Mandel, also enclosing 8 color photos of Howard, Frank (in the yellow shirt), Carson taken at the McCullers' home outside Paris, complete with their housekeeper, Madame Joffre, and their two dogs December 5, 1953 letter from Elizabeth at Yaddo expressing her sympathy and also inquiring about Carson's health and telling of her own January, 1954 letter (Long) from Lillian Smith expressing her sympathy and her belief that Carson will endure.