Beschreibung:

MILLER, HENRY. ARCHIVE OF 9 AUTOGRAPH LETTERS AND 3 POSTCARDS SIGNED ("HENRY", "HENRY MILLER", "H.M.", "JUNE AND HENRY", ETC.) FROM MILLER TO HIS LONGTIME NEW YORK AND BROOKLYN FRIENDS RHODA & BRUCE ELKUS, ESTHER ELKUS, AND JOSEPH O'REGAN. VP (NICE, PARIS, MARSEILLE, ETC.), VD (MOSTLY LATE 1920'S-51). TOGETHER APPROXIMATELY 43 PAGES, 12MO-4TO (MOSTLY 4TO), VARIOUS WEAR WITH NUMEROUS TAPE-REPAIRS. INCLUDES: FOUR LENGTHY AND REVEALING LETTERS FROM MILLER'S FIRST TRIP TO EUROPE, ON THE ROAD WITH JUNE THROUGH FRANCE EN ROUTE BACK TO PARIS AT A CRITICAL POINT IN HIS FUMBLING CAREER, DISCUSSING HIS EARLY IMPRESSIONS OF FRANCE, ROUGHING IT WITH JUNE, HIS CURRENT WORK IN PROGRESS, MONEY, AND MUCH MORE; THREE LETTERS WRITTEN FROM PARIS DURING HIS PRIME PARIS PERIOD (INCLUDING ONE DISCUSSING JUNE AND HERE WHEREABOUTS HOME IN THE U.S.); AND TWO LATER LETTERS FROM BIG SUR ALSO DISCUSSING JUNE AND HER HEALTH AND DISCUSSING MEANS OF GIVING HER SECRET SUPPORT. ACCOMPANIED BY 4 RELATED PHOTOGRAPHS (2 OF JUNE [ONE DATED 1930 IN PENCIL ON VERSO], ONE OF MILLER AND FRIEND; CONDITION POOR ). AIX-EN-PROVENCE, 6 OCTOBER 192[8]: MILLER GIVES A BRIEF HISTORY OF AIX, NOT FAILING TO MENTION THAT "HERE EMILE ZOLA WAS BORN, AND PAUL CEZANNE, THE GREATEST PAINTER OF MODERN TIMES..." HE CONTINUES WITH A LONG, DETAILED DESCRIPTION (WHICH INCLUDES A WALK WITH JUNE THROUGH THE DANGEROUS STREETS OF THE RED-LIGHT DISTRICT) OF THEIR 3-DAY STAY IN MARSEILLE, "...ONE OF THE MOST NOTORIOUS HOLES IN THE WORLD." HE CONTINUES: "...IF THERE ARE ANY WHORES IN FRANCE WHO ARE NOT DISEASED THEY OUGHT TO GET GOLD MEDALS. EVEN THE RESPECTABLE WOMEN SELDOM BATHE - ONCE A WEEK IS A VERY HIGH AVERAGE. THEY DON'T CHANGE THEIR UNDERWEAR EXCEPT ON SUNDAYS. THAT'S STRAIGHT GOODS!... TAKING THEM ALL IN ALL, THE FRENCH ARE A DIRTY, LOW-CLASS, MEAN, GREEDY BUNCH." HE CONTINUES THE LETTER WITH A CAREFUL DESCRIPTION OF A BULL-FIGHT THEY ATTENDED AT NIMES, FOLLOWING WHICH HE ADDS: "I WOULD ADVISE YOU ONCE AGAIN TO READ THOSE TWO BOOKS OF ERNEST HEMINGWAY -- 'THE SUN ALSO RISES' AND 'MEN WITHOUT WOMEN.' HE HAD IT DOWN PAT......" NICE, 19 OCTOBER 1928: "AS FOR THE BIKES--THEY ARE IN FINE CONDITION--BUT DO YOU SUPPOSE I CAN GET RID OF THEM FOR A LITTLE LOOSE CASH? WE HAVE BEEN FROM ONE STORE TO ANOTHER BUT THEY ARE ALL ON THE SELLING END AND NOT THE BUYING END...IF JUNE'S LEG WAS IN GOOD SHAPE WE MIGHT GET OUT ON THE ROAD AND BIKE IT BACK, BUT SHE HAS A DAMNED BAD KNEE, AND IT REQUIRES DRESSING EVERY DAY." REGARDING HIS RETURN TO THE U.S. HE CONTINUES: "I AM BOTH SORRY AND GLAD. IT'S A PECULIAR FEELING I HAVE ABOUT RETURNING. I AM TRULY STARVED FOR MANY OF THE GOOD THINGS WHICH ONLY THE U.S. OFFERS, AND YET AGAIN THERE ARE SO MANY NEW AND STRANGE PLACES I WANTED TO GO TO THAT I FEEL FULL OF REGRETS TO HAVE MISSED THEM. THE BEST PART OF OUR TRAVELS LIES AHEAD OF US. HAD I KNOWN AS MUCH ABOUT FRANCE AS I NOW DO WE WOULD HAVE GONE FIRST TO AFRICA AND SPAIN." CONCERNING HIS BOOK (PRESUMABLY MALOCH ): "(NOTE: I MUST PUT IN A QUESTION ABOUT THE BOOK. HAS ANY PUBLISHER SPOKEN FAVORABLY? I SUPPOSE NOT. THERE WAS ONE IN PARIS WHO WANTED TO TAKE IT, AND PRINT IT IN ENGLISH, BUT HE WANTED TO MAKE TOO MANY CHANGES. IF NOBODY WANTS TO TAKE IT AS IT IS, DAMN IT, WE'LL HAVE IT PRINTED OURSELVES, WHETHER IT'S GOOD OR BAD. BUT GIVE ME A LITTLE INFORMATION, IF YOU WILL, DIRECT TO PARIS.)" HE GOES ON TO DESCRIBE THE BEAUTY OF MONTE CARLO, BUT CONCLUDES: "AS A HOBO, MONTE CARLO LIKE ANY OTHER PLACE, LOOKS DREARY. ALL IN ALL, I'D RATHER BE BROKE IN N.Y. THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD..." PARIS, N.D. [1928]: "JUNE HAS JUST THIS MOMENT RETURNED FROM THE AMERICAN EXPRESS WITH OUR BANK BOOK, WHICH WE THOUGHT HAD BEEN LOST. NOW WE WILL PROBABLY SHIP IT BACK TO THE STATES FOR THE LAST TIME AND DRAW OUT THE LAST PENNY BY TELEGRAPH. BUT IF THEY DELAY LONGER THAN TWO WEEKS IN REPLYING WE WILL AGAIN BE OUT OF LUCK--AND NO DOUBT BECOME FRENCH CITIZENS." HE CONTINUES: "...IT DOES SEEM AS THO MY BOOK IS A FAILURE. I H