Important Modern Literature from the Library of an American Filmmaker

Kerouac, Jack Typed letter signed (“Jack” in pencil), to his girlfriend Lois Sorrells in New York City about Ferlinghetti, Cassady, and his nervous collapse in Big Sur One page (195 x 215 mm), [Northport, New York, September 1960], signed with three penciled “Xes” (for kisses), single-spaced on a sheet of tan paper, top and bottom edges show minor signs of having been cut (torn) from a larger sheet. “Ferlinghetti was most wonderful to me." Back home in Northport, Kerouac writes — in a frenetic style of mostly phrases and short sentences separated by dashes, probably stoked by burgundy — about his stay in California during the summer, which climaxed in an alcohol-fueled nervous collapse at Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s cabin in Bixby Canyon, Big Sur. After the breakdown, Ferlinghetti helped Kerouac recuperate at his home in San Francisco before sending him back East. A year later Kerouac based Big Sur on his experiences from this eventful summer in California. “... if you do come this weekend i will be glad to see you but no more port wine! No more booze! (just burgundy) — Ferlinghetti was most wonderful to me — I want to write new book now and will not have any visitors whatsoever (except you) for a month — quiet and mad and ready to write a new book, see ... I’ll have to say a lot of no’s from now on in my life if I’m to continue ‘working’ or writing ... I wanta make my home like a monastery, with Rev. Mother presiding, and not a hotel —You it’s different, you I need,— (some priest) ... had great time [in California], much to tell you about — even saw Sue and Joe Auerbach in a drunken blur — and to be frank with you, had a drunken love affair with Neal’s [Cassady] mistress, I say Neal’s mistress to identify her for you, actually she’s St. Carolyn by the Sea [Neal’s wife was also named Carolyn] — but so insane and drove me to nervous breakdown with her nervousness and the madness of her surroundings I had to leave ...” “Read a beautiful story by Djuna Barnes out there ... Neal was great [Kerouac saw Cassady for the first time since the latter’s release from prison for drug dealing] — Ferling was great very very great ... The beach near the cabin was too steep and too thundrous to swim in — but I wrote sound of the sea in my notebook ... Had long talks with unbelievably handsome sensitive Mike McClure etc. — it was an enormous season ... when I heard Tyke [his cat at home in Northport] had died I almost died and had a nervous breakdown and went mad for the first time in my life, thought I was being poisoned etc. etc. endless story ... Have evolved new diet, too — cheese and fruits, light bread, red wine, light style Hemingway eating — like Ferling showed me — Okay ...” REFERENCE: Not in Selected Letters, ed. A. Charters, and presumably unpublished PROVENANCE: Lois Sorrells Beckwith (Sotheby Parke Bernet, 23 May 1979, part of lot 11, the Kerouac correspondence to Lois Sorrells Beckwith, purchased by the Boston bookseller William Young) — Unnamed consignor, but presumably Young’s widow (Sotheby’s, 15 June 1990, lot 79, the same correspondence) — Maurice Neville (Sotheby’s New York, Part I, 13 April 2004, lot 132)

View 1 of Lot 62: Kerouac, Jack | Typed letter signed to Lois Sorrells, on about Ferlinghetti, Cassady, and his nervous collapse in Big Sur

kerouac, jack | typed letter signed to lois sorrells, on about ferlinghetti, cassady, and his nervous collapse in big sur

A group of  17 modern first editions, variously bound, some inscribed, comprising:  Barnes, Djuna.  Night Wood. London, 1936. —   Cain, James M.  Mildred Pierce.  New York, 1941. Advance copy in wrappers. —  Cabell, Branch.  These Restless Heads.  New York, 1932.  Large paper copy. —  Cobb, Humphrey.  Paths of Glory.  New York, 1935. — Fitzgerald, F. Scott.  Taps at Reveille.  New York, 1935.  No dust jacket. —  Josephs, Bertrand.  This New Madness.  New York, 1935. —  McKay, Claude.  Banjo.  New York, 1929. — Marquand, John P.  The Late George Apley.  Boston, 1937. Signed. —  Mitchell, Margaret. Gone with the Wind.  First edition, signed. Lacks dust jacket.  —  Nathan, Robert.  Portrait of Jennie.  New York, 1940. — Parker, Dorothy.  Here Lies.  New York, 1939. No dust jacket.  —  Porter, Katherine Anne.  Flowering Judas.  New York, 1939. No dust jacket. — Rollins, William, Jr. — The Obelisk.  New York, 1930. — Saroyan, William.  The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze.  New York, 1934. — Tarkington, Booth.  Young Mrs. Greeley.  New York, 1929.  Inscribed. — Wharton, Edith. Hudson River Bracketed.  New York, 1929.  No dust jacket. —  White, E. B.  Quo Vadimus. New York, 1939.

A group of  17 modern first editions, variously bound, some inscribed, comprising:  Barnes, Djuna.  Night Wood. London, 1936. —   Cain, James M.  Mildred Pierce.  New York, 1941. Advance copy in wrappers. —  Cabell, Branch.  These Restless Heads.  New York, 1932.  Large paper copy. —  Cobb, Humphrey.  Paths of Glory.  New York, 1935. — Fitzgerald, F. Scott.  Taps at Reveille.  New York, 1935.  No dust jacket. —  Josephs, Bertrand.  This New Madness.  New York, 1935. —  McKay, Claude.  Banjo.  New York, 1929. — Marquand, John P.  The Late George Apley.  Boston, 1937. Signed. —  Mitchell, Margaret. Gone with the Wind.  First edition, signed. Lacks dust jacket.  —  Nathan, Robert.  Portrait of Jennie.  New York, 1940. — Parker, Dorothy.  Here Lies.  New York, 1939. No dust jacket.  —  Porter, Katherine Anne.  Flowering Judas.  New York, 1939. No dust jacket. — Rollins, William, Jr. — The Obelisk.  New York, 1930. — Saroyan, William.  The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze.  New York, 1934. — Tarkington, Booth.  Young Mrs. Greeley.  New York, 1929.  Inscribed. — Wharton, Edith. Hudson River Bracketed.  New York, 1929.  No dust jacket. —  White, E. B.  Quo Vadimus. New York, 1939. Together, 17 items   

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