To A. S. Suvorin, 21 February 1886. Moscow.

1 This is Chekhov’s reply to Alexei Suvorin, the wealthy publisher of the St. Petersburg newspaper "Novoye Vremya" (New Times), written on 21 February 1886 from Moscow. It marks the beginning of what would become one of the most important relationships of Chekhov’s literary life: Suvorin had just written to praise his work and had quickly printed one of his stories, effectively inviting the twenty-six-year-old writer, still publishing under the pen name "A. Chekhonte," into the pages of a major national paper.

2 The letter is notable for its mix of gratitude and quiet self-assertion. Chekhov thanks Suvorin for his editorial suggestion about a discarded ending, explains the origin of his pseudonym, and lays out the practical terms of his working life – he writes only two or three short stories a week, cannot promise strict deadlines because his medical practice may pull him away without warning, and is content with the fee offered. The letter shows the young Chekhov negotiating, on his own terms, the transition from comic weekly journalism toward the more serious literary standing that "Novoye Vremya" and Suvorin’s patronage would help secure.