S.
l8 May l9O9 4O7 Brunswick Avenue Toronto
Dear Professor Freud,
«IP4,0»Just a note to "report progress". The Symposium on Psycho‑Therapy at New Haven came off last week and was very successful. It will be printed in the June number of the «MDUL»Journal of Abnormal Psychology«MDNM».«FN1.××Prince et. al. (1910).
» Seven took part in it. I read a paper on Psycho‑analysis which was very well received.«FN1.××Jones (1909c).
» It created a small sensation, but a favourable one. I think you will probably like it. I hope to finish in a fortnight two articles, one a detailed sexual psycho‑analysis I am sending to the «MDUL»American Journal of Insanity«MDNM», and the other one on the Oedipus‑Complex as an explanation of Hamlet's mystery!«FN1.××Jones (1909e, 1910a).
» The latter is a pretty full discussion of the question and I think it should interest you. Have you dipped much into the Hamlet‑literature? It is appalling in its extent, and mostly pretty poor in quality. I shall send the article to the «MDUL»American Journal of Psychology«MDNM», edited by Stanley Hall.
Which latter reminds me of your approaching visit. I found that none of the Boston men, Putnam, Taylor, Prince etc. had heard anything of it, and they had mostly already made their arrangements for that time of year. Why ever doesn't Stanley Hall send out notices of it, say to the members of the American Neurological Association etc. He is very remiss, for time is getting on. From what the men say I am afraid that you must make up your mind to be content with a small audience. They say that Americans simply will not trouble to go out of their way to hear lectures from anyone, and that the lectures ought to be given in a large town like New York or Boston. You absolutely must deliver them in English, for hardly anyone here understands German. I should be very glad if I [could do anything]«FN1.××Crossed out in the original.» [could] be of any assistance in this respect. Have you decided on the subject yet?
I saw Brill last week in New York. He looked ill still, as he had a severe attack of influenza, but was working very pertinaciously.
I forget if I have written to you since the «MDUL»Jahrbuch«MDNM» arrived, to say how much I enjoyed Der kleine Hans.«FN1.××Freud (1909b).» It was a beautifully finished study, and gave me quite an aesthetic pleasure, as do all your pieces of work that are done so perfectly. What may we expect next from you? When are you going to linotype those points about technique in psycho‑analysis for us?
With my kindest regards Yours ever sincerely Ernest Jones
«MDUL»P.S.«MDNM» What do you think of Pfarrer Pfister? «FN1.××Oskar Pfister (1873‑1956), Protestant pastor of Zurich, founding member of the Swiss Psychoanalytic Society in 1910. For correspondence with Freud, see Meng and Freud (1963).
» It beats the American Emmanuel movement hollow. «FN1.××Founded by Reverend Elwood Worcester in 1908, the movement attempted to combine religion, medicine, and psychotherapy in response to the perceived moral and psychological decay of American society.
» What are we coming to?
