Letter from S.J. Perelman (1904–1979) to Laura West Perelman (1911–1970)

S.J. Perelman, one of America’s foremost humor writers of the 20th century, saw nearly 300 pieces published in The New Yorker over the course of his career. He also wrote 560 short prose pieces, eight plays, a novel, numerous television scripts, and 11 film scripts—including for the Marx Brothers films Monkey Business (1931) and Horse Feathers (1932). He also collaborated on the Academy-Award-winning script for Around the World in 80 Days (1956). In 1928 Perelman married Laura West, whom he met through her brother, the novelist Nathanael West. The couple collaborated on two plays and several screenplays, making them one of Hollywood’s most successful screenwriting husband-and-wife teams. In this letter, Perelman describes a job prospect that would have involved her collaboration, then goes on to bemoan the “telephone watching” waiting game as he seeks work—a frequent theme in letters to his wife at this time.