Dear Scott:
I liked it and I didn't like it [Tender Is the Night]. … Goddamn it you took liberties with peoples' pasts and futures that produced not people but damned marvellously fake case histories. You, who can write better than anybody can, who are so lousy with talent that you have to — the hell with it. Scott for gods sake write and write truly no matter who or what it hurts but do not make these silly compromises …
It's a lot better than I say. But it's not as good as you can do … For Christ sake write and don't worry about what the boys will say nor whether it will be a masterpiece nor what. I write one page of masterpiece to ninety one pages of shit. I try to put the shit in the wastebasket. You feel you have to publish crap to make money to live and let live. …
Forget your personal tragedy. We are all bitched from the start and you especially have to be hurt like hell before you can write seriously. But when you get the damned hurt use it — don't cheat with it. Be as faithful to it as a scientist — but don't think anything is of any importance because it happens to you or anyone belonging to you … I'd like to see you and talk about things with you sober. You were so damned stinking in N.Y. we didn't get anywhere.
…
Always your friend
Ernest
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