You may Agree, dear Ivan Alekseyevich, what with the aforementioned literature projects, the situation is ambiguous. On the one hand, Jack London - writer, who gained international fame. On the other hand, one of the thousands (tens of thousands) of journalists.

Risky situation.

Positive reaction of Jack London to Lewis Sinclair's proposals became part of history of the American literature.

But London's reaction and negative was could to be.

Hypothetical negative reaction would also become the part of the history of American literature.

Even if we take into account the special conditions of 1913 for Jack London, the risk of a negative reaction was still quite real.

Why were Lewis Sinclair's proposals accepted?.. Moment? Has everything "coincided"?

The matter is not in 15 and is not in 52 dollars.

Sharing creative concepts, ideas, thoughts - is a normal thing.

History of literature knows, for example, about the perception Nikolai Gogol of certain creative ideas from Alexander Pushkin. Remember the Arzamas ("Арзамас") literary society: communication for an exchange of creative ideas, plans.

I note that at one time the subject of discussion was the role of A. Dumas's creative assistants.

Your humble servant, dear Ivan Alekseyevich, was one of the initiators of the Central House of Writers, Moscow club of writers. I also endeavoured about the establishment of the Literature Institute.

Any form of communication, the interaction of creative people, dear Ivan Alekseyevich, presupposes creative exchange.

But sometimes not only the environment is needed, but also a personal volitional effort, tactical action, perseverance, initiative. Intrigue. Breakthrough. Jump. Rapid maneuver. Knight's move to "made"-Fate.

And so, I will continue a thought. The matter is not in 15 and is not in 52 dollars.

Permit, I will distract further from the specific relations of Jack London with Sinclair Lewis.

I will talk about abstract "the great writer", "journalist", "coauthor", "sub-coauthor".

If the great writer purchases sketches, were been created the journalist (one the journalist among the thousands, tens of thousands journalists), uses sketches or a sketch at least in one published work, then someone may feel appearance of concepts such as "coauthor" or "sub-coauthor".

For the great writer who wrote tens of volumes of world famous works, the significance of use of one or several (stranger, were made by other author) sketches is equal to zero.

For an (ordinary) journalist, the importance of using one or more of his (journalist's) sketches in creativity of a great writer is infinitely great.

Yet, dear Ivan Alekseyevich, how powerful is the creative flow, the flow of creative energy! How diverse this mastery!

How diverse are the ways of coming, entering the literature!

For example, someone enters the literature through wanderings, pilgrimages, travels, various kinds of trials, through the formation of a person's reputation with a "bitter" fate.

Someone passes through participation in military operations and through their description.

Someone gradually increases creative potential, aims to develop capabilities.

Probably, cooperation with publishing company "Znanie" also was for someone the road to literature...

But if - hypothetically imagine - a person who firmly decided to become a writer, without any organizational or governmental support, without the support of patrons or relatives, became a co-author or a sub-coauthor of a great writer, - then this resolute and persistent person - becoming a co-author - entered the literature.

He does not become "friend", "drinking companion", "bootlicker", "footman"... He, I will add, does not try to become permanent "speechwriter" ("writer of literary sketches"). What for? He resolved to become a writer. He uses the force the mind. He makes subject sketches and writes letters.

He waits! Waits, waits and waits.

He uses organizational opportunities of the post service. And he - is a coauthor (sub-coauthor) of the great writer. He confidently entered the literature.

I am surprised to variety of this world and those ways which creative energy is opening for itself.

I switch, dear Ivan Alekseyevich, to other reflections on the of Jack London's literary career.

Let's move on, dear Ivan Alekseyevich, to a higher level of generalizations. Kindness. Kind person. His defenselessness. His fate. Bitterness. Anger.

One of heads of construction of the extraordinary house so remembered about Jack London: "Jack was the best of people. I have not met anyone more humane. He was kind with all, you will never see him without smile. He was a real democrat, noble person, gentleman; he loved family, he respected the workers". The same approximately estimates in memoirs of other people.

The kind person approximately in 1913, apparently, in a minute of psychological depression, at the moment of exasperation writes in one of letters to one of addressees: "Will burst a thunder, and then you'll have to beg not one day a forgiveness and to bow before the whole world; and when you will become ashes, echoes of this thunderstorm will reach those who are not now born, and you will make the coup - into your coffins".

Is it possible for me , dear Ivan Alekseyevich, to ask you what you think of kindness, of defenselessness, and of the fate of an abstract kind man, what you think of bitterness, anger ... These questions may be sound as naïve: eternal themes. Nevertheless, if there is a mood, write me about them...

I returning, dear Ivan Alekseyevich, to one of formulations of subjects of my letter: "to write and work and to act or refrain from writing and working and action?".

There will be time, write Your answer, expound Your reflections.

Your Maxim Gorky (Alexei Peshkov)."

After reading the text of the letter, Gorky meditated some moments.

- Eternal themes! - he said.

Having sighed, he wrote on a top margin of the first page of the letter: "The drafts!".

Gorky returned to giving out the books to readers of the Café-Library.

- What author, what book are interesting for you ? Again Jack London? We have in the catalog a section "American Literature". You can choose to yourself more authors.