November 12, 1951

Mr. Jeanie Flanagan
Managing Editor
Scientific American
24 ‘fest 40 Street
New York 18, Ne Ye

Dear bir. Fianeagani

About two, perhape three, years ago I forwarded a draft ms. to you
on the subject of sexunlity in bacteria. I did not regard the draft as
necessarily a finished job, but your letter of September 28, 1949 indi-
cated your approval of it, as was convirmed by uy recsist of your cheek
not long afterwards.

In the interval, as far as I have seen able to determine, tue article
has not been published. I hold no exception to this, for i can well under-
stand thet the treatment, if not the subject matter itself, might be inap-
propriate. However, I hope that you can understand my present wish to
clove the matter one way or another. In my opinion, the subject matter in
this field has progressed to the point that the article should be drastically
revised to be brought up-to-date.

If, a8 I would guess, you have decidad to abandon thie project, I would
be relieved to have your confirmation of it. If I were to undertake a revision,
I would recosiend a treataent of advances in bacterial genetics on a rather
broader bugis than previously. We alse have sore pictorial vaterial cn sac-
terial nuclei. If this alternative appeais to you, I would consider « reduced
honorarium ia view of your previous unfu.filled inveetzcat.

Yours gincerely,

Joshua Lederberg
Associate Frefesasor of Genetics