Capi’s Last Letter

Capi Blanchet kept up an energetic and elegant correspondence with her grown children and grandchildren as they dispersed around the world, paying scrupulous attention to their lives while saying little about her own. Frances, whom she called “Wad,” was a regular recipient and the following was the last she received before Capi’s sudden death in 1961. The Curve of Time had just been published in England and, like many an anxious new author, Capi was stressing about her publisher’s apparent lack of marketing effort. Do-it-yourselfer that she was, she was full of schemes to hand-sell the book and had inveigled the noted CBC broadcaster Imbert Orchard into doing a review. Alas, she died before her schemes could come to fruition, having no inkling her little book would go on being reprinted and admired for six decades and counting.

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Thursday Night, 1961

Dear Wad –

Unfortunately I burnt your letter by mistake so I can’t really answer. If you are still trying to get the sweater here for my birthday, relax, it’s too late, it’s over. Tate sent me a ridiculous card that only arrived yesterday. On the outside with a crazy looking picture, it says ‘I meant to get you an expensive present this year’ Then on the inside it says, ‘But I’m a little short!’ and inclosed a nice red balloon.

One of the last photos taken of Capi, at her hand-built second house in 1961.

You asked about another order slip for book. Put an order in through Eaton’s in Calgary. And tell them Copp Clark Toronto are the agents in Canada. A book store in Victoria, tells me that it is very unfortunate for me that Copp Clark is Canadian Agent for the book. They just seem to sit back and do nothing, and are not Keeping enough copies in Canada. However, I have started doing some thing to counteract this, when I found that there Western represent-​itive had done nothing in Victoria.

On the strength of a couple of good reviews, Mr. Orchard the Scrip Editor of the C.B.C. in Vancouver, is coming over to see me on Sunday. He thinks there are programme possibilities in the book. I am glad you all liked it . . .

Do you think there is any chance of anyone being down this way the end of June? Joan says you have never mentioned it again, but you spoke of somebody coming down in connection with the school? Joan still seems keen on Lynne going up and so is Lynne. Lynne has been practicing by spending nights with friends.

I don’t think she should try to travel by train alone. How was she going to get back? You coming to coast again? It would be nice to have you.

Monday Night.

Well, met Mr Orchard at the ferry and brought him home for an hour. He had not been able to buy a copy of book in Vancouver unfortunately, so had not read the book- which limited our talk for the moment. I lent him a copy and will hear from him. I think his idea is to read it over the air as short stories. Anyway, he is full of ideas, and I expect to hear more from him.

Then I drove him over to Gray Campbells, who had some tape recordings of interviews for him. Then we all drove into Victoria as Mr Orchard had come over to watch the Indian dances and to see about recording them.

Gray and I came home, calling in on the way to see John Windsor, a blind man who writes and with whom Gray works with the recording of some of these interviews. I, at least, will get a good review over the C.B.C. which was what my idea had been in the first place. Mr Orchard is just starting out on a new job of rounding up various writers with work or ideas for the radio. It might be quite interesting . . . and as he is still Script Editor he has pull.

Kathleen is coming over on Wednesday and going back on Friday. I may possibly go back with her, and see what kind of a job Copp Clark have done on the bookstores and libraries over there. At least I can get it selling on the Coast.

The Cornishes, the little bookstore in Sidney who I went into see, think that they can sell about 400 copies just around this district. Then I got her interested in trying to interest the American yacht people in the book. At Sidney and at the various Marinas.

I bought a sweater and had to take it back because it was so picky. Don’t hold out any hopes, I may be able to line yours.

Love

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