1935 Diary of a Gifted, Comedic Writer Who is the Most Entertaining First Generation American Bookkeeper Who Ever Did Live, Love and Sing Her Way Through New York

On offer is the diary of a 21-year-old woman living near Syracuse, New York. In 1935, she is a working woman who is dating her future husband, breezing through a corporate day job as a bookkeeper at State Mutual Life Assurance, performing with a choir, flitting about Syracuse, and loving the life she has built for herself almost as much as she loves to dream about her future.

This busy and bubbly young author is Melita Mary Goal (later West) (1914-2013). Melita is a first generation American and the oldest daughter of Hungarian immigrants who came to New York a few years before she was born. [To learn more about Melita and her family, SEE BIO NOTES at the end of the listing].

This diary should be a fairly typical “young woman in 1930s America” read, but Melita is a truly gifted writer. She paints pictures with her words and her diary reads more like a romantic comedy than a stuffy record of another century. Melita writes about her passionate, though restrained, relationship with JM (her future husband to whom she is already engaged), her after-work adventures, and her feelings about it all. And does she ever have feelings! While Melita is respectful of the social norms of her household and society, she has an unquenchable excitement for the womanhood and independence that lies ahead. Her entries are usually long and descriptive, letting the reader experience her inner world. 

Excerpts follow:

“Oh chills and heart-throbs. I can’t work today somehow I just can’t concentrate when there’s a dance in the offing. All set to go to the President’s Ball. Yipee - am I excited. Just a year ago tonite - [drawing of music notes] mm - mm - in his arms he held me tight - hot cha. Dashed over had my nails made beautiful and my wig curled then home…at 8:30 JM put in appearance…What a crowd!!!...Danced in the main ballroom for a while…Dashed down to the cocktail room for a bit of something. Ohgeeohgosh!!! Had a martini. Was it ever luscious and did it burn and did iI feel a bit good. Came down in an elevator that was overpacked - and down we went to the bottom - Below the basement even. Holy Smokehouse - and the nonchalance of JM! After 15 suffocating minutes we were finally raised. Then to the Wernon to partake of a delicious sandwich and coffee….JM is luscious” [Jan 30].

“Curses I knew I couldn’t concentrate on anything but Boston Doro. New York Central Station, the time!!! Everything but business. At 9:15 I dashed over to the Bakery to get some cookies for the Bostonians. Almost broke my neck trying to get over to the station on time and the train was over 20 min. Late!!! Ah the suspense was terrible!! Some very businesslike individual tried to carry on a flirtation. And me looking like an add for Nitwit College. Here I stood - pastry box in one and hand…gift in the other. Some picture!!! And soon the train pulled in…I ran the length of it but in the wrong direction. I had hot and cold flashes. Still no Doro. Far down at the other end appeared a very familiar figure. Doro!!! Here at last…I presented her with the package and pretty soon, ah, all too soon the time was up and Doro was gone!!! Woe is me. Brief but happy interlude…” [Feb 7].

“The concert and am I ever excited. Fixed my luscious white dress…JM thinks the dress is the nertz so do I think M is the nertz (chop-licking). Then the thought occurred to JM that perhaps Mrs. Lyman wouldn’t care for the decoration [on my dress]. But my spirit was undaunted. Hid the sash every time anyone came near. The concert was grand…The concert was grand…And so home. Partook in some smooth tasting wine and after a perfectly heavenly adios - I’m still giddy - JM left. Boo hoo” [April 25].

“My birthday - JM and I celebrated at the Syracuse Hotel Terrace Room…the biggest thrill I’ve ever had tho was when John Michael presented me with a blue velvet box and the object it contained made me swallow hard. A diamond to seal our engagement. It’s a beautiful thing. I adore it. I love it and him twice as much” [Dec 14].

This diary would be an awesome addition to the collection of anyone interested in women’s lived experiences in the early 20th century, the Syracuse region (Malita is regularly out and about at sports events, parties, shows, parks and more), courtship in the 1930s, and the evolution of language. Malita makes excellent use of popular language of the time and her writing is worth a second look. 

The diary is about 9x5 inches. It is in very good condition with minor signs of age. The hardcovers and spine are  intact and all pages are attached and in good shape. The writing is very legible. For about 70% of 1935, Melita writes voraciously. Her entries are thrilling, even when they should be dull, because Melita herself is thrilling. Another 20% of the diary contains very brief entries - usually just a sentence quickly marking the main event of the day. There are a few dates left blank but she writes something on about 90% of the pages. Overall G+. 

BIO NOTES: Melita Mary Goal (later West) (1914-2013) was the eldest child born to Anna (Waltz/Walcz) and Josef (Joseph) Gaal (later Goal). Anna and Joseph both immigrated from Hungary in 1910, with Anna arriving five months before Joseph. They married in New York in February, 1914 and Melita was born almost exactly nine months later in December. Melita graduated from Blodgett Vocational High School in Syracuse. She worked as a bookkeeper for State Mutual Life Assurance Co. and as a bank teller at First Trust and Deposit Co. In 1936 Melita married John Michael West (1913-1989). John was a Navy aviation and radio technician in WWII and then worked for the US Government Defense Contracts Administration Services in Syracuse. Melita and John had four sons: twins John Stephen and Michael Joseph, George Andrew, and Joseph Alexander. Melita was a devoted Democrat and ran for tax collector on the Democratic ticket in the 1950s.