| Henry Miller and James Laughlin: Selected Letters Contributor(s): Miller, Henry (Author), Laughlin, James (Author), Wickes, George (Editor) |
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ISBN: 0393038645 ISBN-13: 9780393038644 Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company OUR PRICE: $47.50 Product Type: Hardcover Published: December 1995 Annotation: James Laughlin was first introduced to Henry Miller's writing in 1934 when he was studying with Ezra Pound in Rapallo, Italy. As Laughlin remembers it, one day Pound tossed a book at him across the table at which they were sitting, saying, "Waal Jas, here's a dirty book that's really good. You'd better read that if your morals can stand it". Laughlin was so impressed with the book, Tropic of Cancer, that he promptly initiated a correspondence with Miller which soon turned into a publisher/author relationship when Laughlin, at Pound's urging, founded New Directions in 1936. Ever mercurial in temperament, an idealist who struggled financially to meet his material needs, Miller relied on his publisher Laughlin's generosity and expert editorial advice for decades. Although Miller's letters, sometimes quite teasingly, decried the conservatism of American book publishing, Miller nevertheless trusted Laughlin with intimate details about his work and personal life. The resulting correspondence, spanning from 1935 to shortly before Miller's death in 1980, is a remarkable, uncensored record of the ideas and intentions that spawned many of Miller's most provocative and memorable literary endeavors. Henry Miller and James Laughlin: Selected Letters is a powerful, sometimes poignant and often startling documentation of the complex friendship forged through the written word among two of the twentieth century's most influential figures in the world of literature and publishing. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Biography & Autobiography |
| Dewey: B |
| LCCN: 95008079 |
| Physical Information: 1.16" H x 5.43" W x 8.65" (1.05 lbs) 322 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Ever mercurial in temperament, an idealist who struggled financially to meet his material needs, Henry Miller for decades relied on his publisher James Laughlin's generosity and expert editorial advice. Although Miller's letters decried the conservatism of American book publishing and were often suspicious in tone, Miller nevertheless admired and trusted Laughlin with intimate details about his work and his personal life. The resulting correspondence, spanning from 1935 to 1979, shortly before Miller's death on June 7, 1980, is a remarkable, uncensored record of the ideas and intentions behind many of the author's most provocative literary endeavors. |
Contributor Bio(s): Wickes, George: - George Wickes is a professor in the department of English at the University of Oregon in Eugene.Miller, Henry: - Henry Miller (1891--1980) was one of the most controversial American novelists during his lifetime. His book, The Tropic of Cancer, was banned in the some U.S. states before being overruled by the Supreme Court. New Directions publishes several of his books. |