Box 1

“Cormac McCarthy invites you – on the occasion of his receiving the National Book Award for 1992 – to a party to be held on Saturday December 19th at the law offices of Malcolm McGregor and Bobby Perel.”

Sending Thomas Staley’s review of All the Pretty Horses for Harper & Queen. TMs included, inscribed: “To Howard Woolmer, I’ve cut and cut for Harper and Queen. I could write a book on this fine novel. Best wishes, Tom 12/7/92”

Thanking for party and lunch; Suggests limited edition of The Stonemason.

Thanking for Stonemason; sending check for $100; congratulations on National Book Critics Circle Award.

Sending article in Firsts.

Reporting on purchase of French editions during Paris trip.

Inquiring about French editions.

Update on All the Pretty Horses printings.

Complimenting “The Wolf Trapper.”

More about collecting foreign editions; asking to publish limited edition of The Stonemason.

Sending books for signature; read in a London Times poll that both John Banville and Roddy Doyle listed McCarthy as one of “the greatest living novelists writing in English.”

Thanking for signed books.

Regarding John Sheddan and McCarthy’s desire to purchase back letters he’d sent to Sheddan. Corresponding note (TMs, 1 p.) from Woolmer about his dealings with Sheddan.

Informing him that Robert Penn Warren considers McCarthy a “most talented writer.” Recommends the film Wise Blood.

“Thank you for your very nice letter…” Mentions that Robert Penn Warren and he share the same editor at Random House [Erskine]. “Interesting that he [Warren] liked Child of God. Some people think it a most peculiar book, but lately it has been receiving a sort of belated enthusiasm in the form of reviews and theses and such.” Mentions that Wise Blood actors Brad Dourif and Ned Beatty were also both in The Gardner’s Son.

Sending May 2, 1980 TLS review of Suttree [review included].

“Thanks for the clipping. You were right, I probably would not have seen it…I’m getting ready to head west for the final push on my novel [Blood Meridian]. Hope to get it done by the end of the year.” Erskine and Random House are very negative about a limited edition. “I don’t have an agent anymore and am in a sort of limbo…” All of his books except for the most recent are out of print; inquires if Woolmer knows of a paperback house that might be interested.

Received Triquarterly. “The Scalphunters” is powerful, but confused about characters. Comments on the stuffing genitals into victim’s mouths. Mentions reading John Yount.

“Thanks for your letter, it is always nice to hear from you…The characters in the story [Blood Meridian] are a bunch of American adventurers in Chihuahua in 1849 who have contracted to supply scalps to the government…” Mentions John Yount’s The Trapper’s Last Shot. Also mentions getting “a little windfall from a foundation [MacArthur] so expect to stay in business a while longer.” Might go to Europe.

Suggests getting together if McCarthy comes out East.