Plum Lines T h e q u a r t e r l y n e w s l e t t e r o f T h e W o d e h o u s e S o c ie t y S p r in g 1 9 9 2 Notes from Plum onnie Levine sends this important transition in his career, from school stories to R Wodehouse letter. The letter was prob­ adult stories. True to his word, his last school ably written in August 1909, according to the story, Mike, was published a month later. In Mcllvaine bibliography, and was addressed May 1910 appeared The Intrusion of Jimmy, to L. H. Bradshaw, a fellow writer whom his second adult novel (the first being Love Wodehouse met in America. In it Wodehouse Among the Chickens of 1906, solitary in a declares his intention of making the great thicket of school stories). Contents | New England chapter...............3 Pig tails.......................................5 New m em bers.........................11 $$$ or £££?..................................3 For "oink" read Did Wodehouse TWS pins are here!................... 3 "nghawghghnk"....................... 6 coin words?............................ 12 Financial report, 1991.............. 4 Something new ......................... 8 Plum's last le tte r?..................14 Yellow means dues 4 Chepe laugh..............................9 A study of opening lin es. 15 In a pig's eye..............................5 A few quick ones.................... 10 V o l . 13, No. 1 Published at 538 San Lorenzo Avenue, Felton, CA 95018 USA This letter is part of a collection of 356-358 of the Mcllvaine bibliography, letters written by Wodehouse to Bradshaw Usbome discussed the collection in "New P. and purchased by Levine at Sotheby's G. Wodehouse Material: Letters & Notes of "about 10 or eleven years ago." The collec- His Apprentice Years/' Encounter LXV no. 2: tion is listed, with many quotes, on pages (July/August 1985) pp 60-66. New England chapter $$$ or £££? by David he region which brought you Puritan ust a reminder to our recent convention Landman rigor and Transcendental loopiness makes eers: our treasury is looking pale and wan amendsT by announcing the formation of a New ese days because of the extra expenses of England chapter of the Wodehouse Society. the convention. If you haven't sent in your The first meeting, co-sponsored by Maria voluntary contribution of $25 per person to Sensale and Marty Gottlieb, attracted a dozen make up the overrun, why not do it now? of the area's finest. The first item of business Think how virtuous you'll feel! was a round-robin of introductions, after which Marty Gottlieb, the unofficial chairman, discovered he had misplaced his clipboard with the agenda. All agreed this was an auspi­ cious beginning. The remainder of the meeting TWS pins are here! was spent eating, drinking, and exchanging favorite Wodehouse gags. The next meeting is scheduled for April, at which time the chapter's Judy Finnegan writes: name will be determined. New England Plummies interested in joining may contact Maria Sensale, 1537 Beacon Dear Ed, St, Apt 3F, Brookline MA 02146, telephone Due to the importunity of the members and the (617) 738-5863. delightful correspondence I received regarding the lapel pins, I was able to wheel and deal and procure another set of 100 pins, while they last at the old his is very good news. I think the forma­ price of $10 each. They are now available. T tion of the chapter was inspired by the Sincerely, discovery at the New York convention of how Judy Finnegan much fun it is to get together with other Plummies and take trivial things seriously. We This is welcome news indeed. Judy de­ wish you much happiness in your plain signed these beautiful little pins and had thinking and high living, and shall follow your them made as welcoming presents for mem­ future career with considerable interest. Please bers who attended our 1989 convention in keep us informed of whatever you're up to. Kalamazoo, Michigan. The few she had left I have joined three literary societies in the were sold out some time ago. last ten years (Wodehouse, Jane Austen and The pins measure 3/4" by 1" and display a Dickens) and have made in each case the same glossy black top hat, white gloves, monocle curious discovery: they do a lot of eating and and the gold letters TWS, all on the plum- drinking. And here I thought they were colored cover of a book with gold-edged dedicated to the intellectual life. —OM leaves. Snazzy! Order yours from Judy Finnegan, 3414 Fleetwood Drive, Kalamazoo MI 49008, for $10 each, including postage and packing. Information and new memberships Editorial contributions Marilyn MacGregor Ed Ratcliffe, OM 3215-5 Bermuda Avenue 538 San Lorenzo Avenue Davis CA 95616 Felton CA 95018 Dues payments and address changes All quotations from P. G. Wodehouse Tom Wainwright are reprinted by permission of the Trustees 220 Grover Lane of the Wodehouse estate. Walnut Creek CA 94596 Dues are $15 per year. 3 Financial report, 1991 Yellow means dues by Tom any of our members owe dues this Beginning balance, Dec 31,1990 $4703.15 Wainwright, M time of year. If your dues are due, a treasurer Income yellow sheet has been attached to the front of Dues, back issues, etc $5870.00 your newsletter. Interest earned 13837 Dues are US $15 per year for an individual Contributions to cover or a family. Please send your dues promptly convention overrun 520.00 —it makes life easier for our treasurer. The 6528.37 reinstatement process is particularly gruel­ Expenses ing, involving as it does an all night vigil Plum Lines under an oak tree for each lapsed member (copying, mailing) $3815.84 and the recitation of certain Druidical incan­ Computer equipment and tations. software (Notel) 950.00 Your check or money order should be McDvaine bibliography 138.94 made out to The Wodehouse Society. Please Correspondence with members send your dues to: (stationery, postage) 360.13 Tom Wainwright Convention overrun (Note 2) 2953.17 220 Grover Lane 8218.35 Walnut Creek CA 94596 USA Ending balance, Dec 31,1991 $3013.17 Members outside the United States can pay dues in any of three ways: (a) with an international money order, (b) with a check specifying US dollars, drawn on a US bank or N otel. Ed Ratcliffe found last summer the US branch of a bank outside the US at that better equipment was needed to pro­ which the check may be cleared, or (3) with duce the newsletter, and bought a computer, $15 in US currency. monitor, keyboard, printer and software at his own expense for about $4500, expecting An international money order is expen­ to use it almost entirely for the newsletter. sive. In view of this, Jim Earl has agreed to The society reimbursed him for the $950 cost act as a collection point for the dues of British of the monitor and software, with the under­ members. Send your dues check, written in standing that he will repay the money, pro­ pounds and pence and made out to James rated, if he resigns as editor within three Earl, to: years from the date of reimbursement. James Earl Note 2. The convention overrun occurred 54 Monkmoor Avenue because some expenses of the convention Shrewsbury were underestimated during planning and Salop SY2 5EB some unexpected expenses were incurred at Please include an extra 25 p to help cover the the last moment. New York is an expensive cost of the money order. Jim will send a city, and planning and arranging the conven­ single large money order to Tom. tion from across the continent was an uncer­ tain matter. A contribution of $25 from each conventioneer is needed to wipe out the overrun. (About 115 people attended.) Few things in life are more embarassing than the necessity of having to inform an old friend that you have just got engaged to his fiancee. Big Money, 1931 4 In a pig's eye Pig tails by Mindi Bacon, immy Heineman plunges us once more Reid headcheese, into the murky depths of Wodehouse pork pie, Jscholarship with the following letter: ham; At times I've sunk as low as Dear Sir: Spam; I have often pondered upon, and long endured the uncertainty of whether or not a pig's tail twists Bratwurst, pork chops... clockwise or counter-clockwise; and more especially I've lived convinced the direction taken by the tail of the Empress of that omelettes MUST contain hamlettes, Blandings. Even James Hogg in his philosophical and minced; scholarly tome, Lord Emsworth's Annotated Whiffle, What country breakfast could be complete avoids the subject and leaves it unelucidated. Can without its share of porcine meat anyone with a sufficiently catholic knowledge of pigs' But something now disturbs my peace tails help me out of this quagmire of porcine ignorance whenever I sit down to feast in which I am wallowing? I am. Sir, your obedient servant. with a trencherwoman's true elan on members of the piggy clan: James H. Heineman I seem to see the august brow of Shropshire's celebrated sow.... The question is complex and difficult— a quick look at your friendly neighborhood pig its majestic Berkshire blackness creased won't solve it The direction of twist may be with sorrow for its kin deceased! breed-dependent, sex-dependent, even (and I She seems to shake her massive head think this is quite likely) hemisphere-depen­ In mourning for her brethren dead: dent: clockwise in the northern hemisphere, counter-clockwise for pigs observed by our "Oh, Cruel Girl! O Bitter Pill! Australian and South African members.