Beckett, Samuel

 on his work ("...There is no sense in my going to Berlin for TV Endspiel to do the same job over again...") including the French translation of Watt ("...Thankless job..."), his habit of drinking whiskey from an old tumbler ("...Irish whiskey doesn't mind..."), his ill-health and cataract operations, international affairs especially in the Middle East ("...the earth is crazier than ever and the best thing for all concerned would be 100 atom bombs let fall simultaneously, 50 on each hemisphere..."), also discussing her writing - especially an article about him ("...I dread all allusions to my person and habits and quotations from my wild tack but understand you could not do otherwise and also that you used considerable restraint...") - and possible meetings, 9 pages, 4to and oblong 8vo, with 6 autograph envelopes, Paris, Ussy sur Marne, and Galerie der Künst, Berlin, 2 November 1967 to 24 August 1974, with printed transcriptions, nicks and tears, especially at folds, creasing, one letter conserved with adhesive tape

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, when appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

"...Time is getting short and there may be a few more drops to be squeezed from the old lemon..."

Beckett met Avrech, a young Israeli scriptwriter and journalist, in 1967 whilst in Berlin directing Endspiel (Endgame): "Beckett was not without female companionship in Berlin. Sometime early in September, he met a young woman ... staying in the same residential block as a guest of the Academy of Cinema and Television. Mira Averech [sic] wrote film scripts and occasional journalism, precisely the kind of occupation that would normally have made Beckett bolt for cover. But he responded to a woman's charm and good looks. And Ms Averech was distinctly attractive. The affair ... began with Beckett offering her his ticket for the premiere of Endspiel, then appearing outside her door one night with a bottle of Johnnie Walker and two imitation Waterford glasses. From this developed a relationship which lasted for the remainder of his stay in Berlin." (James Knowlson, Damned To Fame: The Life of Samuel Beckett, 1996, pp.553-54).