Ernest Hemingway autograph letter signed, composed in pencil on a Western Union telegram from Key West on 1 February (1938). Telegram is accompanied by the original mailing envelope postmarked Key West, 1 February 1938, also in Hemingway's hand.

Hemingway writes to a struggling author, Paul Drus, regarding editorials for the short-lived ''Ken'' magazine, a left-leaning publication that Hemingway was initially affiliated with to write articles about the Spanish Civil War. ''Ken'' only ran from April 1938 until the summer of 1939, unsure if it wanted to be a true leftist magazine, or, as Hemingway wrote, ''liberal-phoney''. In its first issue, Hemingway insisted that a disclaimer regarding his association be printed: ''If [Hemingway] sees eye to eye with us on Ken, we would like to have him as an editor. If not, he will remain as a contributor until he is fired or quits.''

Letter reads in full, ''Key West Feb 1 / Dear Mr. Drus, I've just gotten home after being at front in Spain since August and find your letters and mss. Am very sorry you have had no answer about them. Ken [Magazine] has been postponed again. I am not the editor only supposed to write editorials. Will read your mss. and send it on to whoever is in charge editorially. Please excuse this letter. Have no secretary (is in N.Y. with a play). Six months correspondence to answer and christ what a mess. Am trying to clean it up to get away to Spain again. I hope your stories are good and look forward to reading them. But please don't expect me to write you about them. I will seriously send them where they should go with whatever recommendation I can give. Am glad Gertrude [Stein] likes your stuff that is a good sign. Good luck to you. [some erased content] / yours always Ernest Hemingway.''

Single page measures 8.5'' x 7'', with envelope measuring approximately 7'' x 4'', handwritten by Hemingway in fountain pen. Folds and minor toning to letter, overall in very good condition. An intriguing letter from an important time in Hemingway's literary and political life.