DERLETH, August (1909-1971). Typed Letter Signed. Sauk City, WI: 22 August 1964. Half-sheet on Arkham House: Publishers stationery. Approximately 6 x 8 1/2". Addressed "Dear Mr. Cunningham,". Signed "August Derleth" in red pen at bottom. A LETTER WITH EXCELLENT CONTENT IN WHICH DERLETH DISCUSSES LITERARY CRITICISM AND MENTIONS SEVERAL AUTHORS.

"All thanks for yours of the 19th. ... Yes, that practise [sic] of yours of labeling an author is a bad one. Take a writer like myself, for instance -- I write in so many different fields that if you didn't care for a mediocre book like NOT LONG FOR THIS WORLD you'd pass up a really fine one like WALDEN WEST. I'm afraid though that you can't categorize fantastic fiction except in the wildest possible sense -- "macabre" fits most of the writers in the field, other than the adventure-violence-hooror [sic] boys, like Robert E. Howard, and even he has written some tales -- among his best -- that do not so classify. Bloch, I fear, has grown a trifle flippant; our patrons generally liked THE OPENER OF THE WAY much better than PLEASANT DREAMS. yes, Leiber is sound; his "Black Gondolier" is the best thing in our recent anthology of new macabre tales, OVER THE EDGE. ... I do agree with you emphatically that HPL's THE RATS IN THE WALLS is his best tale; I don't know that I'll go along with you in that it's one of the best 2 or 3 American short stories written, but it is certainly high on the list of the best stories. And you are by no means alone in your enthusiasm for THE SHADOW OVER INNSMOUTH. I am sorry, but I think both the Conan books about which you ask are out of print, and I believe the publisher is now defunct..." Chuck Cunningham was a collector and English Professor. This letter was written when Cunningham was only 12 years old. 

Two vertical creases, heavily soiled, one curved, jagged tear at center right. Fair.