ALS: Thursday, November 18, 1920

BEYOND THE HORIZON was eventually published in England in 1924 by Jonathan Cape -- not by Sidgwick & Jackson. St. John Ervine did not write a preface for this volume -- instead, writing an introduction to the English edition of THE MOON OF THE CARIBBES AND SIX OTHER PLAYS OF THE SEA, published by Jonathan Cape in April of 1923. While Ervine had high praise for BEYOND THE HORIZON, in later years, as his own career declined, the playwright turned drama critic attacked O'Neill unmercifully. Reviewing DYNAMO in the NY WORLD (February 13, 1929) he wrote, "His pathetic efforts to be an intellectual and to think deeply about man's destiny have so far landed him only in a bog in which he flounders helplessly and oftentimes ludicrously."

Provincetown, Mass.
Nov. 18, 1920.

My dear St. John Ervine:

I meant to have answered your kind letter long before this but I have been "up to my ears" putting on a new play of mine at our little Provincetown Player experimental theatre in New York and have hardly had a chance to breath.

I am more than grateful to you for having brought "Beyond The Horizon" to the attention of Sidgwick & Jackson. It has been my ambition for some time to get a hearing for the play in England in one form or the other. As for your writing the preface, that will be splendid! All my sincerest thanks to you for offering to do so!

There has been some talk of a "Beyond The Horizon" production in England in the spring -- but so many of these plans never get beyond the talking point that I am not placing too much faith in this one. It would be fine if it really should evolve into an actuality, and open up the possibility of a trip to England for me -- and the pleasure of meeting you.

Sidgwick and Jackson have written me and I am having my publishers get in touch with them at once.

I am sorry to hear you are in one of those barren spots of unproductivness. All of last spring and early summer I wallowed in the same bog and gave up hope of ever writing another line. Then the fit suddenly passed and I managed to get a lot of work done before winter set in.

Thank you again for your kindness -- and all my best wishes to you.

Sincerely,

Eugene O'Neill.