Mina Loy - Stories and Essays of Mina Loy

“—there was” was “—As yet there was”

After “account for” was “I began to feel that if only I had had the [good] strange fortune to be caught in the nest by a man from Maine I might have been a ‘better’ woman but a worse writer— When to my surprise”

“incognito Freud” reads “incognito [ unclear word ] Freud”—may be “Mr” —ed.

“unveiled. The worthies” reads “unveiled, the worthies” and was “unveiled, were the” —ed.

“in banishment” was “in banishing”

“breasts preferred to have” was “breasts to have”

“taken murky refuge” was “taken refuge”

“lurks even” was “lurks everywhere since it lurked in those”

“planet—” was “planet — had never left”

“driving back” was “driving home”

“hoofing up” was “kicking up” and reads “hoofing up cloud” —ed.

“relieved himself of his” was “relieved himself of the”

“unpronounceable” was “inarticulate”

“ élan vers l’idéal ” reads “ ‘élan vers l’idéal’ ” —ed.

After “neighbours” a long line is drawn across the page —ed.

PAGE 51

“village. Where every” was “village. So clever”

“watched — where everyone” reads “watched, where everyone” —ed.

“mothers watching” was “mothers waiting”

“grandparents slept lightly” was “Pappas slept” and “fathers light”

“nightly by the window of the den” was “nightly in the den”

After “the den” was “by a bright oil lamp by the window”

After “without shades” reads, partly crossed out, “without [ unclear word ]” —ed.

“learning the danger” was “learning that danger”

“Straher sang” was “Straher told”

“no matter where else—” reads “no matter where else,” —ed.

In the margin, at the end of the paragraph beginning “This black magical” reads the following list:

In Maine.

Static

Annoying Mrs Bundy.

Passivia

The Stomach

Life and Death.

Transfiguration.

Triple Extra.

Songge Byrde

Passivia.

The Brother in Laws —ed.

“village post office” was “villagers”

“we could descry” was “we could already descry”

PAGE 52

“chaw” may be “Shaw” —ed.

“this post office” reads “thes post office” —ed.

“monocle and his” was “monocle, Lucy, and his”

“arrival — at such time” was “arrival — with a marvellous facility for being in two places at once—”

“was actually telling” was “was telling”

“to patting John Straher intimately on” was “and patting John Straher on”

“enquired” reads “enquiring” and was “enquired” —ed.

“And had been directed to” reads “been directed the only” and was “been told that” —ed.

After “description—” was “was”

After “saw her” was “she had brought a basket of wild rasp- berries”

“raspberries as her official” was “raspberries to welcome”

After “nobody” was “in seemingly”

“branchlike” was “clawlike”

“work-ridden arms and hands” was “work-ridden hands”

“It was widely known” was “It was known”

“once lain low with measles” was “once had measles”

“a letter of thanks from” was “a letter from”

PAGE 53

“Though this underworld” reads “Those this underworld” —ed. “underworld” may have been “back world” —ed.

“could never become” was “never took away”

“mystery which spurred” was “mystery which I shared”

“I passed” was “I could”

“everyone” was “every acquaintance”

“and of each” was “and was s”

“It cost me” was “It took me”

After “discover” was “and then from one of our own party”

“said my informant” was “said John”

“really well. And as” was “really well. He called up a few loiterers to help”

“it was more than one’s life was worth” was “one’s life wasn’t worth it— Once s”

“they could remember” was “they remembered”

“or at least” reads “or a least” —ed.

“These degenerates” reads “These de generates” —ed.

“a few filthy” was “the few filthy”

“they were hunched”—“hunched” could also be “humped” —ed.

PAGE 54

“Their major impulse was murder then minor rape” is a later addition

“their lives were spent in one long loathsome lust” is a later addition

“In one infested lair” reads “[at] in on one infested” —ed.

“good sport to be alive” was “good sport mer”

After “with their” reads [ torn page ] ge sized”—“ge sized” is crossed out —ed.

“They only” reads “[ torn page ]hey only” —ed.

“kill and fornicate” was “kill”

“I asked and asked” reads “[ torn page ] asked and asked” —ed.

After “enthusiasm—” was “only we cou”

“only a very genuine succession” was “only a succession”

“walking stick” reads “wa[ torn page ] stick” —ed.

“a little — in case” reads “a little — [ torn page ] in case” —ed.

PAGE 55

“A peaceful” was “What a peaceful”

“its own heat” was “its temperature”

“in heaven—” reads “in heaven—.” —ed.

“It was impossible” was “It was a day on which”

“they seemed” reads “the seemed” —ed.

“at the outpost” reads “as the outpost” —ed.

“napkin tied over” was “napkin over”

“from Wonderland that ended Alice’s dream” was “from Wonderland after Alice’s dream”

“but she had not” was “but her”

“aspect, her human” was “aspect, her complexion”

“called good day” was “said good morning”

“any strange children” was “any children”

“distant hill” was “distant hollow”

“Nobody starting” was “Nobody peeping”

After “hedges” was “When I came to the third house”

“the sun — its meadows” was “the sun — in a hollow”

PAGE 56

“under an apple tree” reads “under apple tree” —ed.

After “daisies” reads “A shingle path led / or gravel” —ed.

“* * * * *”—denotes about 500 missing words —ed.

Before “Everything around” reads “knows the difference—” —ed.

After “far off—” was “and the Lord be thanked for that”

“schoolmaster for her kind” was “schoolmaster for the likes of her”

“nodded to him” was “nodded to all that he said”

“* * * * *”—denotes missing words —ed.

“hand invited me” was “hand to spy my approach had cleared a space”—“hand” remains crossed out —ed.

“the indescribable” was “the disreputable”

“of her poverty” was “of poverty”

After “her poverty” was “And we sat down.”

“not clean, those” was “not clean like the houses i”

“wither — sometimes” was “wither — we”

“onto the flyblown”—“onto” appears crossed out —ed.

MONDE TRIPLE-EXTRA

(6:167)

“Monde Triple-Extra” parodies the class and gender politics of a very modernist sort of celebrity — see, for instance, mention of “ la petite Duchesse de Da Da”. These concerns echo Loy’s satires of FUTURISM such as “The Pamperers,” and suggest that this story was written in the late teens or twenties.