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Eleven letters, 1938-1940, from John Cowper Powys to the writer Harlan Cozad McIntosh (1908-1940), containing detailed comments on a draft of the recipient's novel, This Finer Shadow (New York, 1941) (ff. 8-34 verso); and twelve letters, 1938-1942, from the same to McIntosh's wife, Jane Hardy, a New York literary agent (ff. 3, 35-58 verso). Also included are a manuscript copy of Powys's foreword to the novel, and carbon copies of three letters from Jane Hardy: two, 1938, to Powys (ff. 1, 5), and one, 1966, to Powys's literary agent, Gerald Pollinger (f. 59).
The letters contain references to Edwin Muir (f. 8 verso), James Hanley (ff. 10 recto-verso, 12 verso, 13-14 verso, 15 recto-verso, 47, 48 verso, 57) and John Redwood Anderson (f. 58 verso), and to the death of Llewelyn Powys (ff. 33 verso-34).

Carbon copies of one hundred and twenty-three typed letters (three of which are incomplete), 1916-1919, 1922-1923, 1927-1946 and undated, to John Cowper Powys from the poet Edgar Lee Masters, containing mostly discussions of Masters's own and others' writings and his responses to John Cowper Powys's works, with a reference also to the death of John Cowper Powys's brother Llewelyn Powys in 1939. Some of the copies bear annotations in Phyllis Playter's hand. Also included is a press cutting, dated 24 August 1949, relating to Masters's eightieth birthday and a list of crossed-out dates - probably relating to the sending or receipt of letters - in Phyllis Playter's hand.

Twenty letters and one telegram, 1937-1939, to John Cowper Powys from his sister Marian Powys, mostly containing news of family and friends, including the deaths of Marian's and John Cowper Powys's brother Llewelyn Powys and of John Cowper Powys's aged dog (both in 1939), and the death of John Cowper Powys's publisher and tour manager G. Arnold Shaw in 1937. Enclosures comprise one letter to Marian from Howard Cox and a watercolour drawing by Marian of a holiday cabin at Mount Desert, Maine.

Typescript copies of one hundred and thirty-three letters, five postcards, one letter card and one card, 1895-1896, 1902, [1910], 1914-1915[x1918], 1920-1925, 1927-1940, 1943, 1945-1948, 1950-1952 and undated, and one holograph letter, 1948, from John Cowper Powys to his sister Gertrude Powys. The letters contain mostly personal and family news, including the birth of John Cowper Powys's son Littleton Alfred in 1902 and Littleton Alfred's ordination in 1927, the death of John Cowper Powys and Gertrude's brother Llewelyn in 1939, accounts of John Cowper Powys's works in progress and the libel case brought against him in relation to his novel A Glastonbury Romance (1933), together with accounts of life in and around John Cowper Powys and Phyllis Playter's New York State home Phudd Bottom and their plans for moving to Wales. Typed notes have been added to the copied letters, presumably by the copier. Some of the letters are annotated by Powys biographer Morine Krissdottir, who has also written a brief overview of the collection (inserted in the folder). A note in the hand of Morine Krissdottir explains that the typed copies were made by Sally Powys, before the original letters were sold to The Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin.

Photocopies (some text faint) of one hundred and fifty-eight letters, one postcard and one telegram, 1939-1941, from John Cowper Powys to the poet Huw Menai (Huw Owen Williams). The letters include accounts of the last illness and death of John Cowper Powys's dog 'The Very Old' and the death of his brother Llewelyn Powys, both in 1939, and the death of Powys's friend Frances Gregg in 1941, together with mention of Powys's past works and works in progress, reflections on the war, health matters, and a reference to a letter of 1940 sent by Powys to his sister Marian Powys which was returned by the censor (ff. 186-7) (see 'Letters to Marian Powys from John Cowper Powys'). Many of the letters are illustrated with John Cowper Powys's ink drawings, which include self-caricatures and depictions of Huw Menai as a sea-serpent . Ff. 159, 166-7, 170-1, 207 appear to be draft prose piece(s) by Powys (crossed out). Also included are two photocopied letters, 1939, from Powys to Arfon [?son of Huw Menai]. Enclosures comprise two further photocopied letters from Powys to Arfon (enclosed with letters dated 20 August 1940 and 23 February 1941), a note to Huw Menai from Jean [--?] (f. 157), a note in Welsh to Powys from John Redwood Anderson (f. 422), and a press cutting in Welsh relating to the teaching of Welsh history (f. 503).