To A. S. Suvorin, 15 November 1888. Moscow.

1 Written from Moscow on 15 November 1888 to Alexei Suvorin, this short letter mixes publishing business – the cover art for "Kashtanka" and the reception of "The Name-Day" – with a substantial passage of literary advice urging Suvorin to finish his current story and renewing Chekhov’s invitation to collaborate on "The Wood Demon," then closes with a story-in-progress, a small favor Chekhov declined to grant, and regards.

2 The letter opens with dateline and compressed re-dating (1-2), then turns to the cover illustration for "Kashtanka" – a white cover with the dog rendered as a single dark silhouette, drawn by the artist Stepanov, whom Chekhov praises for capturing a dachshund-mongrel cross convincingly; Chekhov asks Suvorin to keep the drawing hidden and to show it only to his children Nastya and Borya as an informal test of its success, noting the remaining illustrations are not yet ready and that he is reluctant to press the artist, a friend (3). reports the warm reception of "The Name-Day" among lady readers, who praise its accuracy about childbirth, and mentions that the story sent for the Garshin memorial collection deals with psychological pain. is the letter’s longest and most substantial section: Chekhov asks after Suvorin’s story-in-progress, then delivers an extended piece of craft criticism – diagnosing Suvorin’s habit of over-explaining and over-motivating his characters’ every word and action as a "publicist’s" tic rather than a fundamental flaw of nature, illustrated by a specific line of dialogue from Suvorin’s draft – before pivoting to renew his invitation that they co-write "The Wood Demon," and, if that fails, proposing alternative subjects: a tragedy on Holofernes and Judith, a "Solomon," or a piece on Napoleon III and Eugénie or Napoleon I on Elba. mentions a story in progress for "Novoye Vremya" about an unpleasant woman. recounts Chekhov declining to intercede for a Korsh-company actor who wanted a discounted Turgenev at Suvorin’s shop, and asks Suvorin’s opinion of his refusal. The letter closes with regards (8) and signature (9).