Henry Miller - Typed Letter Signed, Big Sur, 1959

A fascinating and revealing full-page typed letter signed by Henry Miller (1891–1980), one of the most influential and controversial American writers of the twentieth century, best known for Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn.

A4 sized, typewritten, hand-corrected and signed in ink. Dated 10/06/59, addressed simply “Big Sur” — where Miller lived from 1944 to 1962 — and written to “Sola”, evidently a female acquaintance with whom several letters had been exchanged following an earlier encounter:

“I wanted very much, you know, to go to Sweden with you. But there happened, as we talked, things I can’t speak of and I decided against it. (Nothing to do with you.)”

Miller opens with a vivid account of his state of mind: “just as I was about to take breakfast (alone), I had a great fit of weeping and sobbing”, before moving through reflections on religion and astrology:

“My spirits have been very low recently. As you see from my chart, I am going through a bad period, like I did in 1929 and 1930, when I left Mona and went to Paris.” And below: “According to my Danish friend, the astrologer…Saturn will stop bothering me after the end of this year.”

53 lines in total. Signed “Henry Miller” in ink at the foot — with a characteristic splodge at the start of “Henry”, suggesting a fountain pen.

Condition: Very Good. Clean and complete, without nicks or tears. Prominent horizontal fold to the middle and two further prominent vertical folding creases.