Part of a collection of letters from John Steinbeck to Alicia Patterson Guggenheim, written from New York and during his travels in Ireland, England and Israel in 1965-1966. Alicia had died in 1963, and Steinbeck wrote the letters in this series as a weekly column for Newsday. She was the editor and publisher of Newsday from 1940 until her death in 1963, and Steinbeck addressed his letters "not ... to someone who is dead, but rather to a living mind and a huge curiosity" (see MA 2519.39). Letters in the collection have been cataloged individually; see collection-level record for more information.
Typed on Newsday letterhead stationery.
Quoting at length from two of Steinbeck's earlier letters, in which he discusses plans to travel to Ireland for research and pleasure, and the full range of possibility that he "may or may not" feel like writing about his trip. Quoting from his own letter of September 3, in which he suggests that Steinbeck only "write when the sprit moves you." Asking to option for Newsday and syndicates the first serial rights for anything that Steinbeck writes during this upcoming trip, and discussing further terms for syndication. For this option, offering to cover all of his and Mrs. Steinbeck's expenses while on this trip.