THE JOHN O'HARA SOCIETY

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On April 9, 1934 John O'Hara wrote a letter to his brother, Thomas O'Hara, who later became a political reporter for the New York Herald Tribune. Here are some excerpts.

I've just written The End at the middle of a page, and that means The End of my novel. Of course there will be changes and fights and so on. I don't think the publisher will go for the title. I'm calling it Appointment in Samarra, which will be explained on the title page .... I need a suit. I am also getting behind in the rent.

Tender is the Night (is) one of the great books of the world. I think of it and think of it, and the more I do, the more I'm beginning to believe it's the greatest book I've ever read ...

Don't throw yourself heart and soul into any school of writing or thought. Look at the Hemingway school. They work and work and try to get like Hemingway, but even when they do the same trick better, they're only bushleague Hemingways ... A Farewell to Arms is the greatest love story ever written, if you ask me ...

My trip to the West Indies was fine ... In Haiti I made an effort to see Marg Archbald, but she was away on a cruise, so I met her father-in-law, a pompous horse's ass who is Bishop of Haiti.