17th November
Dear Daddy-Long-Legs
Such a blight has fallen over my literary career. I don't know whether to tell you or not, but I would like some sympathy--silent sympathy, please; don't re-open the wound by referring to it in your next letter.
I've been writing a book, all last winter in the evenings, and all the summer when I wasn't teaching Latin to my two stupid children. I just finished it before college opened and sent it to a publisher.He kept it two months, and I was certain he was going to take it; but yesterday morning an express parcel came (thirty cents due) and there it was back again with a letter from the publisher, a very nice, fatherly-letter--but frank! He said he saw from the address that I was still at college, and if I would accept some advice, he would suggest that I pull all of my energy into my lessons and wait until I graduated before beginning to write. He enclosed his reader's opinion. Here it is:
'Plot highly improbable. Characterization exaggerated. Conversation unnatural. A good deal of humor but not always in the best of taste. Tell her to keep on trying, and in time she may produce a real book'
Not on the whole flattering, is it, Daddy? And I thought I was making a notable addition to American literature.I did truly. I was planning to surprise you by writing a great novel before I graduated. I collected the material for it when I was at Julia's last Christmas. But I dare say the editor is right. Probably two weeks was not enough in which to observe the manners and customs of a great city.
I took it walking with me yesterday afternoon, and when I came to a gas house, I want in and asked the engineer if I might borrow his furnace. He politely opened the door, and with my own hands I chucked it in. I felt as though I had cremated my only child!
I went to bed last night utterly dejected; I thought I was never going to amount anything, and that you had thrown away your money for nothing. But what do you think? I woke up this morning with a beautiful new plot in my head, and I've been going to about all day planning my characters, just as happy as I could be. No one can ever accuse me of being pessimistic! If I had a husband and twelve children swallowed by an earthquake one day, I'd bob up smilingly the next morning and commence to look for another set.
Affectionately,
Judy
***
Memang tidak salah ketika malam itu saya memilih untuk membeli Daddy-Long-Legs nya Jean Webster. Niatnya hanya akan membeli empat seri Anne of Green Gables untuk melengkapi seri yang pertama (mudah-mudahan Mama gak baca post saya ini.. kalau ketahuan saya lebih milih beli buku daripada makan, bisa-bisa... *hiiyy*) Wah, saya benar-benar pecinta pesta! Pesta buku! Apalagi yang bisa saya harapkan ketika "patah hati" melanda dan mewarnai malam-malam saya dengan kegelisahan dan penyesalan.
Tapi Jerusha "Judy" Abbot memang benar-benar hebat. Dia menginspirasi saya; cerita-ceritanya, perasaan-perasaannya, pendapat-pendapatnya, sudut pandangnya, dan... surat-suratnya kepada Daddy-Long-Legs yang tidak lain adalah Mr. Jervie Pendleton, sosok yang selama ini dia sukai.
Well, kesampingkan dulu romansa sederhana tapi manis dan penuh kejutan antara Judy Abbot dan Master-Jervie-Daddy-Long-Legs-Pendleton-Smith, karena yang membuat saya senang adalah sebuah plot baru tiba-tiba saja datang ketika saya membaca surat Judy untuk Daddy-Long-Legs ketika naskahnya ditolak.
What a life!
Rayyan, Raissa, Zikra... saya gak kan pernah ninggalin kalian. Walau sudah tak terhitung jumlahnya ketika saya merasa putus asa dan ingin berhenti, tapi saya tidak akan pernah benar-benar akan putus asa dan berhenti.
Semangad!!!
xoxo
