To A. S. Suvorin, 11 November 1888. Moscow.
А. С. СУВОРИНУ, 11 ноября 1888 г. Москва.
Headnote
1 Written from Moscow on 11 November 1888 to Alexei Suvorin, this is a brisk miscellany letter following closely on (7 November). It mixes theater business over "The Bear," a report on finishing the story written for the Garshin memorial collection, running jokes with Shcheglov, a scathing review of a bad play seen at Korsh’s, a glimpse of a novel-in-progress, and Dramatic Society business, closing with a one-line postscript noting a play titled "Anna Karenina" in a theatrical-manuscript dealer’s catalogue.
2 The letter opens with dateline and compressed re-dating (1-2), then Chekhov thanks Suvorin for news that the actress Savina is willing to take on "The Bear," only to report a complication: Shcheglov, acting on Burenin’s advice, has instead passed Chekhov’s copies of the play to the actress Abarinova for her benefit performance, and Chekhov worries about the awkwardness since he has already given his word to Savina (3). reports finishing the story for the Garshin memorial collection – roughly 2000 lines dealing at length with prostitution, which Chekhov says he raises without resolving, and uses to prod Suvorin’s newspaper for its silence on the subject, naming Moscow’s Sobolev Lane brothel district as an image of the trade’s severity. is a brief plan for the coming days: copying out the story, then turning to pieces for "Novoye Vremya." continues the running joke with Shcheglov about disliking the theater.-9 recount theater chaos at Korsh’s – uncertainty over whether Maslov’s play will be staged, amid Glama’s agitation – and give a lengthy, contemptuous plot summary and review of a bad play, "Crocodile Tears" by one Karpov, quoting Karpov’s own unapologetic remark about the play’s politics afterward, which Chekhov turns into a mock appeal to be held to account if he ever talks that way himself. is a brief sketch of material Chekhov has drafted for his own novel-in-progress, a scene of a nighttime fire in the countryside.-12 close with Dramatic Society business (Chekhov withholding Suvorin’s enrollment until asked) and regards, then the signature. is a one-line postscript reporting that Rassokhin’s catalogue lists a play called "Anna Karenina."