Was checking Steinbeck’s East of Eden yesterday, before giving it to a friend. Stopped by a note at the front page of the book from John Steinbeck to Pascal Covici who was his editor at The Viking Press, as he prepared the manuscript for “East of Eden”.
Steinbeck dedicated the book to “Pat” as he used to call his beloved friend. When the manuscript was finished he placed it in a wooden box that he had carved and presented it to Pat. Here is what he wrote at the front page of his novel:
Dear Pat,
You came upon me carving some kind of little figure out of wood and you said,
“Why don’t you make something for me?”
I asked you what you wanted and you said, “A box.”
“What For?”
“To put things in.”
“What things?”
“Whatever you have.” You said.
Well here’s your box. Nearly everything I have is in it, and it is not full. Pain and excitement are in it, and feeling good or bad and evil thoughts and good thoughts—the pleasure of design and some despair and the indescribable joy of creation.
And on top of these are all the gratitude and love I have for you.
And still the box is not full.
John
Whatever happened to the Box?
[...] There was something I found really interesting, however, and that’s the letter Steinbeck wrote to Pascal Covici. I looked up this guy, and apparently he was Steinbeck’s editor, and the box Steinbeck refers to is a box that he delivered the manuscript of East of Eden in. (source) [...]