title: Unsent Letters
author: Malcolm Bradbury
description: Although he admits to being a particularly poor correspondent, British novelist and critic Bradbury proclaims that he does compose letters in his head but just doesn't write them down. These irreverent notessamples of those he has imagined but never committed to paperare put-downs, indeed: absurd, ironic letters to imaginary correspondents, sometimes signed with imaginary names, about "art and creativity, research and scholarship, publishing and editing, earning a living and making a crust," writing for the art market, TV or posterity, about writers' lives and spouses, about great books projected and even greater books lost or abandoned. Since Bradbury has spent much time in the U.S., many of these letters poke fun at American people, customs and institutions. Whether Americans will enjoy them or respond favorably to Bradbury's forced, sophomoric humor is a question that only individual readers can determine, but certainly some will wish that he had stuck to fiction and literary criticism. First serial to the New York Times Book Review. <br />Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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  # Ray Bradbury Stories Volume 1
  
  
  
  
  
  ![publisher logo](../images/img0003.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  #
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Drunk, and in Charge of a Bicycle
  
  
  
  
  
  an introduction by Ray Bradbury
  
  
  
  
  
  In 1953 I wrote an article for _The Nation_ defending my work as a
  sciencefiction writer, even though that label only applied to perhaps one
  third of my output each year.
  
  
  
  
  
  A few weeks later, in late May, a letter arrived from Italy. On the back of
  the envelope, in a spidery hand, I read these words:
  
  
  
  
  
  >
  
  
  B. BERENSON  
  
  
  I TATTI, SETTIGNANO  
  
  
  FIRENZE, ITALIA  
  
  
  FIRENZE, ITALIA
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I turned to my wife and said. ‘My God, this can’t be from _the_ Berenson, can
  it, the great art historian?!’ ‘Open it,’ said my wife. I did, and read:
  
  
  
  
  
  >
  
  
  Dear Mr Bradbury:
  
  
  
  
  
  In 89 years of life, this is the first fan letter I have written. It is to
  tell you that I have just read your article in _The Nation_ —‘Day After
  Tomorrow.’ It is th