1937 Funny Toronto Star Journalist Letter Humourously Declining to Write a Piece on Authorship

On offer is a humorous letter written by Frederick G. Griffin (1889-1946) and sent to Howard Angus Kennedy [1861-1938]

The typed letter is signed by Griffin. Dated Dec. 10, 1937, on the Toronto Star Editorial Dept. letterhead, Griffin writes to Howard Angus Kennedy in Montreal. In his letter, Griffin humorously declines to write a piece on authorship for "The Canadian Author". An excerpt:

"...Fact is, being an alleged author as a sort of by-product to twenty-odd years of newspapering, I do not take authorship very seriously and I have not a word that I could think of writing that would chasten, help, warn, advise, amuse or irritate a single Canadian author..."

This letter is a fun hat-tip to the history of Canadian newspaper publishing with a distinctly Toronto vibe that would be an asset to any Canadiana collector. 

BIO NOTES:

Frederick G. Griffin was a well respected Toronto-based journalist and war correspondent during WW2. He was known as a popular front-page feature writer in Canada, writing for the Toronto Star. 

Howard Angus Kennedy was a correspondent of The Montreal Daily Witness and New York Herald covering the Riel Rebellion in 1885. During the war, Mr. Kennedy was editor and writer for the economics commission at Ottawa and organizer of the publishing department of the Military Hospital Commission and the Soldiers Civil Re-establishment Department. Mr. Kennedy was a charter member of the Canadian Authors" Association, formed in 1921, and became its national secretary in 1929, holding that office to his death, in addition to heading the Montreal branch for a number of years.

This letter is one page. The word Griffin has been written in blue pencil touching on the building on the Toronto Star engraving , otherwise very good condition.