Title: Blassingame Correspondence Late 70's Category: Agents
Written: Late 1970s Pages: 3000
Description:
Part 1: Business correspondence from the 1970s, mostly (but not exclusively) in the 1971-1973 range. Predominately in a descending date order (i.e. more recent first). Highlights include: Agent Lurton Blassingame. Correspondence regarding TIME ENOUGH FOR LOVE. Letter noting permission for University of Oregon to include correspondence with Heinlein's in Blassingame collection. Discussion of response to Alexei Panshin re HEINLEIN IN DIMENSION and other matters in a letter from Robert to Lurton Blassingame, Sep 16, 1973 pp 94-102; letter also contains Robert's first mention of GRUMBLES FROM THE GRAVE. Discussion of arrangements for Forrestal Lecture at Annapolis and subsequent publication in Analog.
Part 2: Business correspondence from Jan 1976 to Nov 1973, predominately in descending order. Highlights include: Agent Lurton Blassingame and various publishers. Some discussion of STARSHIP TROOPERS board game. Discussion of progress on the Rare Blood article. Proposal and rejection by Robert of special "Heinlein edition" of F&SF magazine at pp172-173. Discussion of Robert and Ginny's trip to New York City in spring 1975. Discussion of trying to put Phillip K. Dick together with Lurton as his agent. Mss for unauthorized play for GLORY ROAD at pp274-285.
Part 3: Business correspondence for 1976, predominately in descending order. Highlights include: Agent Lurton Blassingame and various publishers. Ginny reports to Lurton that there is a rumor going around in science fiction circles that Robert has died, pg 1603. Ginny reports on 1976 Kansas City Worldcon, where Robert was Guest of Honor. Mentions blood drive at the convention the Heinleins helped to organize which collected 500 pints, and her hope that such drives become traditional at science fiction conventions, pp 15-16. Ginny instructs Lurton on Robert's orders to decline Science Fiction Research Association reprint request for 'Year of the Jackpot'. Multiple passing references to Robert and Ginny being at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory for Mars Viking landing in July. References to negotiations ove the Caedmon "Green Hills of Earth" album as read by Leonard Nimoy. Ginny reports stipulating Nimoy in the contract language. References to a New Zealand trip in the spring of 1976.
Part 4: Business correspondence for late 1976 and early 1977.. Some 1978 mixed in. Highlights include: Agent Lurton Blassingame and various publishers. Report by Ginny of visit by Carl Sagan and family (pg 1848). Mid 1978 correspondence dealing with transition from Lurton Blassingame to Kirby McCauley and Eleanor Wood as Blassingame began to move towards retirement. McCauley's introduction to the Heinleins and Ginny's report to McCauley and Blassingame on Robert's carotid bypass surgery at pp 208-212.
Part 5: Business correspondence for 1977, predominately in descending order. Highlights include: Agent Lurton Blassingame and various publishers. References to trip by Robert and Ginny to New York City in November 1977. Correspondence on the preparations for publication of illuminated version of "Notebooks of Lazarus Long". Several references to attendance at an extended multi-city tour of blood drives. Trip report by Ginny on the 1977 Worldcon in Miami, FL at pp 100-101. Ginny reports at pg 119 on Robert's attitude re the "books on tape" concept/industry: "Let them learn to read." Various mentions of progress on the first version of what eventually became "The Number of the Beast". Reference to trading certificates for 50 pints of blood donated to a local blood bank for a speech by Robert at a Libertarian Party meeting in Phoenix at pg 183. References to the interviews with J. Neil Schulman that eventually became "The Heinlein Interview", the longest published interview of Heinlein in his own voice.
Part 6: Business correspondence for 1978, predominately in descending order. Two major sections, April-Jan, pp 1-104 and Dec-May, pp 104-317. Highlights include: Agent Lurton Blassingame and various publishers. Lurton reports to Ginny in April 1978 his plans to merge his business with Kirby McCauley (and McCauley's partner, Eleanor Wood) as he transitions towards retirement, pg 8. Original plan to merge with Ned Brown abandoned due to health concerns with Brown. Discussion of preparation for the carotid bypass operation that would allow Robert to become more active again. Lurton asks, and Ginny denies, rumour that Robert has two finished unpublished novels tucked away as an insurance policy. This sounds like the rumour mill mangling the status of How to Be a Politician and Tramp Royale. List of Robert's short stories prepared by Ginny for Caedmon (the album people) includes check marks next to her personal favorites for "Robert's best work" amongst the shorts, pp 56-57 (explained at pg 70). Letters from Isaac Asimov at pg 125 & 128 attempting to straighten out a business misunderstanding between Kirby McCauley and Martin Greenberg impacting the Heinleins, Asimov, and Don Wollheim. Robert's reply at pp 129-130, referencing phone call as well. Letter includes Robert's list of the most important basic theorists on the Art of War. Includes possibly Robert's first major contact with Eleanor Wood, who would become his agent after Blassingame and the short McCauley interlude, at 131-138. Discussion of Ginny's unhappiness with the transition from Blassingame to Blassingame, McCauley, and Wood (BMW), and subsequent decision to focus on Eleanor Wood as their personal contact with the firm as Lurton continued his transition towards retirement. Copy of 1957 temporary Power of Attorney at pp 152-153. Robert to Lurton at pp158-168 reporting shelving the first version of "The Number of the Beast" (written pre-carotid bypass) as "not up to my best work", and including more detail on the Blasingame-to-Wood transition. Letter by Robert to "The Sword" magazine at pp 204-205, discussing en passant the inspiration for "Lady Vivamus" sword from Glory Road. Discussion of addition of Ralph Vicinanza to represent foreign rights, which Ginny estimates as roughly 1/3 of their income, pp 258-259.
Part 7 and 8: Movie/TV rights business correspondence for 1975-1979 predominately in descending order. Highlights include: Movie/TV agent Ned Brown.
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