Letter from Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, New York, New York, to James Ivory, Klamath Falls, Oregon, 1977 July 23 : autograph manuscript signed.

Admitting she is glad to be back in New York; describing the hordes of tourists in London, "mostly from the Continent, all those happy people who lost the war coming to enjoy the favorable exchange rate"; complaining that when she visited Ava in York, that area too was "crammed" with tourists; remarking on the prevalence of Arabic language services in London, and Arabic food; describing how "painful" it was to see her mother, as "she is now a child," though not unhappy, except in "darker moments" when she "believes she's being robbed"; reporting also that Catherine [Freeman] is not doing well; repeating how happy she is to be back in New York and settled, so much so that she would rather stay in town than join Merchant in Claverack; telling him she will see "Roseland" on Thursday at "another big screening" and that "Ismail is in a very, very good mood about it"; describing what she sees as "something strange [going on] with the BBC"; asking what he thinks of Melvyn Bragg's "proposal" [see MA 23840.1527]; telling him it is entirely up to him (Ivory) and she is "not at all interested in doing anything Indian and would only be following you"; saying she is "cheered to know that your thoughts are again straying toward a contemporary American subject. So are mine"; telling him she spoke to Foo [Felicity Kendal] in London, and she was "very keen to work with you " again; adding that Shashi and Jennifer also "want very much to do something" with them; telling him that the script Melvyn Bragg is writing, and which Foo is set to act in, "is to be directed by Ken Russell," who Foo claims "adores [Shakespeare Wallah]"; telling him that the miniatures he asked her to bring from London [see MA 23840.1530] hadn't arrived before she left, so Kennedy will bring them when she returns to New York in late August.