Finally finished, and an introduction to a whole new set of artists/authors I've never read (or knew of) and now must keep my eye peeled for...
- Ephraim Doner (Artist, friend of H. Miller)
- Bezalel Schatz (painter, sculptor, friend of H. Miller)
- Moise Kisling (French Painter)
- Charles-Albert Cingria (Author)
- Sir Godfrey Higgins (author)
- Oscar Vladislav De L. Milosz (Author, Milasius)
- Restif de la Bretonne (author, rival of De Sade, foot-fetishist)
- Lawrence Lipton (Journalist, author "The Holy Barbarians")
- Balzac (Author, "Seraphita")
- Jaime de Angulo - (Neighbor, novelist, ethnomusicologist, outsized reputation-major character of the era)
- Jakob Wassermann - "The Maurizius Case"
Many of the above were acquainted with Henry Miller, through correspondence, travel, or neighbors, for a time, at Big Sur.
It makes me curious as to what other books/artists he'd recommend, and - as luck would have it there is in fact a list:
The final chapter - some 100 odd pages of the book, deal with a character that comes to stay with Miller in Big Sur. His name is Conrad Moricund, a Swiss-French Astrologer who Anais Nin passed off on Miller when he proved to be too troublesome. Now, Miller has some issues with this guest over the three month visit, and over the course of 100 pages paints the most damnable picture of him - by turns laughable, outrageous, all things, foolish, sage, impotent, pornographer... - ...
And I'm laughing and laughing because I know him, or enough of his type, and laughing, laughing painfully because - in certain degrees he is as well me. It's like being shown a grotesque mirror of both everyone you know, but yourself included. It's funny, but it makes me aware - well, I was always aware, reminds perhaps is a better way of putting it, me of my own failings.
Anyways, finally finished that one up with enough notes to inform my reading for a year or two, should I so choose...