The Library of Roger Wagner - PBA Galleries

MEMOIR OF HIS FIRST MISTRESS
113. miller, henry. Pauline - 19 page holograph manuscript, signed. 19-page holograph manuscript, signed.
Accompanied by 15-page typescript with a couple holograph corrections, and a few photocopies, one
stamped “Reece Halsey Agency.”
No place: No date
Miller’s intense memoir of his first mistress, the friend of a mother of one of Miller’s piano
students in Brooklyn, “Pauline.” In one passage, Miller describes his first sexual experience with
her: “As I said before, she had not fallen for me at first blush. I believe she sensed what she was
letting herself in for. She must have known from
the beginning that it would end tragically for her.
I, on the other hand, acted as if I were blind, deaf
and dumb. I questioned nothing. I never looked
ahead a millemetre. Of couse it was my initiation
into the world of sex. And it was a most beautiful
one. As for Pauline, I am certain she had been
deprived of a sex life for a number of years. She
had never remarried and, so far as I knew, had had
no lovers We were both hungry for it. We fucked
our heads off...” Later, a shocking revelation, a
description of Pauline’s late-term abortion of
Miller’s baby: “...I rushed to the bureau, opened
the second drawer and there I saw the body of a
child wrapped in a towel. I spread the towel and
beheld a perfectly formed little boy, red as an
Indian. It was my son. I choked on the realization
of that fact. And from that to tears at the thought
of what she must have suffered. It seems to be
the lot of women to suffer. For the pleasures of
the flesh they offer us men; we give them in return
only pain. If the abortion itself was a horror the
aftermath was even worse. The question was how
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and where to get rid of the body. The doctor,
whoever he was - I never saw him - decided to
chop the body into pieces and throw the pieces
down the toilet. Naturally the toilet got clogged - and the landlady discovered all. She was not
only irate but shocked and threatened to notify the police. How Pauline talked her out of doing
this I don’t know, but the result was that we were obliged to move on short notice...” Miller
ended up leaving Pauline, twice as it turned out, and feeling so guilty about it that he never
called or wrote her. However, an interesting memoir of Miller’s first “relationship.” Near fine.
(1500/2500)
114. miller, henry. Looseleaf note-paper of approximately 100 pages containing the addresses of Henry Miller’s
friends and acquaintances. Approximately 100 loose leaf pages (lacking notebook). Most addresses within
are typed, but there are numerous corrections & additions by Miller, as well as many holograph
addresses in his hand added in.
[Pacific Palisades]: [c.1960s]
With many famous names of authors, actors and directors, as well as family members and Paris
figures Ana‹s Nin, Miller’s 2nd wife June (Corbett), et al. Very good.
(400/600)
115. miller, henry. Two notebooks - Henry Miller’s address book in original binders. 2 loose leaf notebooks,
approximately 200 pages. Many pages are typed, but contain numerous corrections and additions by
Henry Miller, as well as many holograph addresses in his hand added in.
[Pacific Palisades]: [c.1960s]
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