PAGE 198
“dragging LOVE. across the floor” reads, in handwritten version “dragging [in] Love by the hair”—“across the floor” is a later addition
In the handwritten version, before “I just take them” FUTURISM states: “I don’t waste time over women—”
PAGE 199
“leaving you inconsummate—” was “leaving you — unaccom- plished—” in first instance in handwritten draft
PAGE 201
“replenished — vital — like” reads “replenished-vital-like”—the dashes used here are consistent with the handwritten draft—ed.
In handwritten draft, “spent so long on a woman” was “spent so much time on a woman” in the first instance
Between “fifteen minutes” and “Hurry up! And love me!” the hand- written draft includes the following addition: “The Futurist has to spend his life on trains — they alone have the requisite veloc- ity for our indomitable energy—”
PAGE 202
“why I love you so” was “why I loved you so” in first instance in handwritten manuscript
“entirely fictitious” was “entirely factitious”
“I find it makes it” was “it might make it” in first instance in hand- written draft
“All my mistresses” reads “All my ex- [ex] mistresses” in handwritten draft
PAGE 204
After “watch the performance” the next page in the typed manuscript is unnumbered, and reads: “7 pages of manuscript missing”; at this same point in the handwritten manuscript, the pagination goes from 22 to 30—ed.
PAGE 205
“insult the sex” was “insult to sex” in typed draft; handwrittenmanuscript reads “the sex”
“this is new—” reads “this is new—.”—ed.
PAGE 206
“while the fire burns” was “while the sun shines” in the handwritten draft in the first instance
PAGE 207
In handwritten text, “out of her! — Let’s” reads “out of her! — —— — let’s”
PAGE 208
“must pretend, anyway” may be “pretend anyway” (note: the handwritten draft reads: “you must — pretend — anyway”)—ed.
“every point made” was “every psychological point in” in handwritten draft in first instance
PAGE 209
“leading you on — to — nowhere” reads as such in handwritten version; typed draft reads “leading you on-to-nowhere”—ed.
In handwritten draft, “true woman is immodest enough to kiss” was, in the first instance, “true woman would kiss”
PAGE 210
Why can’t you believe in me?” is drawn from the handwritten version—ed.
PAGE 211
In first instance in handwritten draft, there — — — — — — — — (Silence) — — —” was “there — — — — there — — Silence”
In handwritten draft, the dashes between “You can,” “you can,” “you do,” and “you” are extended ellipses
“ ‘thou thy servant’ ” reads “ ‘thou they servant’ ”—ed.
What am I doing— What am I saying?” was “What am I do- ing — What am I doing” in first instance in handwritten draft
PAGE 212
something— You” is taken from handwritten draft; typescript reads “something — you”—ed.
perfectly straightforward” was “perfectly honest” in the first in- stance in handwritten draft
“believe in me—” reads “believe in me—.”—ed.
PAGE 213
“Nothing but you—” reads “Nothing but you—.”—ed.
PAGE 214
In handwritten draft, “It’s infallible — infallible— Did you hear that?” reads, “it’s — infallible — infallible (running to the sofa) DON JUAN. did you hear that”
“amusing creatures” was “delightful creatures”
ESSAYS AND COMMENTARY
ALL THE LAUGHS IN ONE SHORT STORY BY McALMON
(6:151)
Loy and the American writer Robert McAlmon were friends, and in 1923, McAlmon’s publishing house, Contact Editions, printed Loy’s first book, Lunar Baedecker [sic]. Burke argues that Loy is the model for Gusta Rolph, a character in McAlmon’s 1923 account of writers in Greenwich Village entitled Post-Adolescence (BM 293–96). Loy also appears in Being Geniuses Together (1938), McAlmon’s portrayal of the expatriate artists’ community that lived in Paris in the twenties.
McAlmon wrote many short stories that could be the unnamed focus of “All the laughs,” but in terms of its content, Loy’s piece bears a distinct resemblance to “The Laughing Funeral” of Post-Adolescence. “All the laughs” has a title page in Loy’s hand. Although it appears to start in medias res, this speculation is complicated by Loy’s use of a comma at the outset of the occasional line throughout. The handwritten text is formatted like a prose poem; in spite of the vagaries of Loy’s margins, every attempt has been made to preserve the integrity of her lineation.
PAGE 219
sphinxly” reads “sphynxly”—ed.
– voice” was “and — voice”
PAGE 220
she explained” reads “[torn page] she explained”
taunted like that” was “taunted as”
metallic cackle” reads “metallic cuckle” and could be “chuckle” —ed.
BRANCUSI AND THE OCEAN
(7:188)
Loy and the Romanian sculptor Constantin Brancusi were associates in Paris in the twenties and thirties (BM 328, 386). In its unabashed admiration for the artist’s aesthetic approach, “Brancusi and the Ocean” recalls Loy’s poem “Brancusi’s Golden Bird,” which was first published in The Dial in 1922 (Lost LB 79–80).
The rough, handwritten document of “Brancusi and the Ocean” includes a draft of a poem entitled “La descent des Ganges”. A more complete version of this poem is published in The Last Lunar Baedeker as “Descent of the Ganges,” and Roger Conover dates it as most likely written in the late 1930s or early 1940s (Last LB 252, 327).
PAGE 221
Before “The interpretation of Brancusi” was “To arrive at an intellectual — of Brancusi’s sculpture” and also “To interpret Brancusi / Ai”
“beyond the formidable naked” reads “beyond the / the formidable naked”—ed.
“intriguing comparison”—“intriguing” is unclear—ed.
“comparison of elemental form” was “comparison of the elemental form”
“evolved by” was “that has evolved through”
“an elemental form whose evolution” was “an elemental form that evolves”
“is submitted” was “through the”
“such sublime” was “such colossal”
PAGE 222
“white heat” was “white head”
“the memory” was “Is like the memory”
“irrefutably” was “implac” and “undeniab”
“primary investigators”—“investigators” is unclear—ed.