T. E. Lawrence to C. J. Greenwood

13 Birmingham Street
Southampton

16.4.34.

Dear Greenwood

I began the Campbell first - last week, because I have been in the North for three weeks and am only just back. And having begun it, I finished it in three sittings. The first interval I said 'There are fools and damned fools... but even that doesn't include Campbell'. The second interval I changed mood and said 'There's more in this than folly. It's good in parts'. And now that it is all over I slip back towards my first mind. D.H.L. threw away his reason - but it harmed him. It is all very well feeling hard and quick and hot - but feeling cannot be put on paper convincingly except to the already converted (and who wants to talk to his disciples) without brains and logic and argument to back it up. Roy Campbell makes an ass of himself all through. A pity - because clearly he isn't a real ass - only synthetic.

It's the fashion now, I suppose, this naivety. Liam O'Flaherty writes himself down as a simpleton pure; and so did Gertrude Stein in an awful autobiography. Did you ever read it? She admitted to having owned a Ford car for months without understanding it - seemed rather proud of this - darned fool. A Ford!!! [23 lines omitted]