Add MS 89083/1/1/3

Twenty communications (and three envelopes without letters) from Pinter to Goldstein, most of which are accompanied by a typed transcription or copy (of recent date) supplied by Goldstein. The transcriptions sometimes include supplementary contextual information.

• 1. Three envelopes (letters presumed lost) addressed to Goldstein: franked 15 March 1956, 30 October 1956, and 8 August 1958.
• 2. Palace Court Theatre, Bournemouth. Tuesday [31 January 1956]. Pinter to Goldstein. Autograph letter (1 sheet), with envelope (postmark 1 February 1956). 'I've a lot of work to do - big part. So no writing possible on the old book.'
• 3. Palace Court Theatre, [Bournemouth], Tuesday [14 February 1956]. Pinter to Goldstein. Autograph letter (2 sheets), with envelope (postmark indicating letter date). Includes a brief cutting from The New Statesman and Nation (4 February 1956). Typed transcription by Goldstein. 'I had a wonderful day on Sunday with Jill - been together a year - anniversary [...] Been reading Molloy. Silences me. The terrible silence. It is great poetry.'
• 4. Prince of Wales Theatre, Cardiff (till Sat - then Bournemouth). Tues Mar 20 [1956]. Pinter to Goldstein. Autograph letter (2 sheets), with envelope. Includes Arts Theatre Club Associate Membership Card in Goldstein's name (expires 1/8/56). Typed transcription by Goldstein.
• 5. Palace Court Theatre, Bournemouth, Wed. [28 March 1956]. Pinter to Goldstein. Autograph letter card (postmark indicating date).
• 6. Palace Court Theatre, Bournemouth, Sunday [late June 1956]. Pinter to Goldstein. Autograph letter (2 sheets). Typed transcription by Goldstein. 'I have changed my abode, on all levels. Vivien [Merchant] & I have set up shop. It is fine, very fine.' The letter refers to Waiting for Godot being performed in Bournemouth 'a week back' (the play appeared at the Pavilion Theatre, week beginning 11 June 1956 - indicating letter date). Pinter has 'ordered Malone in the English from Zwemmers', and asks Goldstein to 'wrap up The End & Proust' and post them to him.
• 7. Wednesday [summer 1956, Bournemouth]. Pinter to Goldstein. Autograph letter (5 sheets) enclosing two autograph poems (2 sheets). Typed transcription of letter and poems by Goldstein. 'I have suddenly written two poems - the first for a year.' The letter encloses two poems without titles, beginning 'I have thrown a handful of petals' and 'This time of summer'. The first poem (revised) appears in Various Voices (2009), p. 160, entitled 'Daylight'.
• 8. Friday [July 1956, Bournemouth]. Pinter to Goldstein. Typed letter (1 bifolium). Pinter to Goldstein. Refers to Goldstein liking his poems (see previous letter), and to having received Malone Dies from Zwemmers. A parting comment ('we had them at Leeds') appears to refer to England v Australia at Leeds (3rd Test), 12-17 July 1956, which England won by an innings and 42 runs - hence the suggested date for this letter.
• 9. Sunday [9 September 1956?], Pinter to Goldstein. Typed letter. Goldstein has added to the letter in pencil an approximate date: '1960-61'. However, references in the letter suggest the year 1956. Firstly, Pinter is 'very annoyed that Trueman is not going to Africa' (Fred Trueman was not selected for the winter 1956-57 England cricket tour of South Africa). Secondly, Pinter comments that he likes the article on Beckett in Delta (see Bill Carr, 'Samuel Beckett', Delta, 9, Summer 1956, pp. 17-20, in which Carr argues that Bishop Berkeley is a strong influence on Beckett). Finally, Pinter tells Goldstein that he has 'high hopes that Henry J. C. Woolf will be with us on sunday the 16th' (which agrees with the calendar for 1956).
• 10. Thurs [September 1956, Bournemouth]. Pinter to Goldstein. Autograph letter (3 sheets), and typed transcription by Goldstein. Letter refers to being married (Pinter and Merchant married in Bournemouth, 14 September 1956).
• 11. Pavilion Theatre, Torquay. Mon [October 1956]. Pinter to Goldstein. Autograph letter (3 sheets), and typed transcription by Goldstein.
• 12. Pavilion Theatre, Torquay. Sunday night [21 October 1956 - envelope postmark 22 October]. Pinter to Goldstein. Typed letter (1 bifolium), with envelope. Typed copy letter by Goldstein (whose dating of Pinter's letter is erroneous).
• 13. Bournemouth, Sunday [April 1957]. Pinter to Goldstein. Typed letter (1 sheet), and typed copy by Goldstein. The letter can be dated by its reference to The Room: 'Henry is rehearsing it now for production next month at Bristol. I am, however, engaged on a larger work [The Birthday Party], a threeact [sic] play, at present, which is a different kettle of fish and which is moving along. Stanley is staying in the house of Meg and two characters named Goldberg and McCann come down and take him away. Yes, the whole thing is coming along. Playwriting just now has got me by the balls.' (The Room was first produced by Henry Woolf at the Drama Studio, University of Bristol, 15-16 May 1957.)
• 14. Palace Theatre, Manchester. Wed. [late June 1957]. Pinter to Goldstein. Typed letter (1 sheet). 'Mate, would you do me a big favour and send me back that copy of the Room as soon as possible? A literary agent has read it and wants to act for me.' (Letter date inferred from the next letter.)
• 15. Playhouse Theatre, Oxford. Tuesday [early July 1957]. Pinter to Goldstein. Typed letter (2 sheets). Pinter has finished The Birthday Party: 'I've finished it and sent it off to the agent today'. Cricket references in the letter appear to refer to England v West Indies, 3rd Test, Trent Bridge, 4-9 July 1957.
• 16. A brief note by hand (1 sheet) from Pinter to Goldstein, dated only '25?'. Refers to the ABC Television production of A Night Out, broadcast 24 April 1960.
• 17. Nov. 14 [1960]. Another brief note by hand (1 sheet) from Pinter to Goldstein: 'I enclose this. I'd like to know what you think of it. It goes out on Dec. 2.' The enclosure is not present, but refers to a BBC Third Programme radio production of The Dwarfs, broadcast 2 December 1960.
• 18. Dec. 10 [1960]. Pinter to Goldstein. Typed letter (1 sheet) with envelope postmarked 11 December 1960. Typed copy letter by Goldstein. Pinter remarks on the BBC radio production of The Dwarfs that 'the humour didn't come out strongly enough'.
• 19. 6 Fairmead Court, Kew. Jan. 24 [1961]. Pinter to Goldstein. Typed letter (1 sheet). Pinter comments favourably on a one-act play by Goldstein (Yom Kippur). Goldstein has attempted to date this letter by first adding to the letter in pencil '1960-61' which he then erased and replaced with '1958?'. However, Billington (2007), p. 131, states that Pinter moved to Fairmead Court in the summer of 1960. In fact, the year of the letter is confirmed by Pinter's final sentence which refers to the production of A Slight Ache at the Arts Theatre Club, 18 January 1961.
• 20. Kew. Sat. [4 February 1961 - postmark]. Pinter to Goldstein. Typed postcard. With typed copy by Goldstein.
• 21. New York, 26 September 1961 (second postmark, London). Pinter to Goldstein. Typed postcard (showing Lower Manhattan).