NIN, Anaïs - Handwritten Letter RE: publishing her diaries [c1943]

NIN, Anaïs. Autograph Letter to Samuel Goldberg.

New York: undated, circa 1943. Two sheets of onion skin, single sided text, 11" x 7.5". One smudge at upper right corner of first page, creasing to lower quarter of second page, and both have folded horizontally down the middle. Very Good.

This correspondence is particularly noteworthy as it was written during the period where Henry Miller was attempting, and failing, to make it in Hollywood. Nin did famously go on to publish the diaries mentioned here. They are considered a landmark in 20th-century literature and provide an intimate, unflinching look into the inner life of a woman writer, capturing her thoughts on sexuality, creativity, and relationships with a raw honesty rarely seen at the time. They document her personal and artistic evolution, including her intense relationships (with Henry Miller for example), offering a window into the bohemian literary circles of Paris and New York. Beyond their historical and biographical value, Nin’s diaries are celebrated for their lyrical, introspective prose, blurring the line between life and art and influencing generations of writers exploring personal narrative and feminist perspectives.

The letter reads:

Dear Samuel Goldberg: I didn’t want to call you up because I know at this particular time you are rushed with work and tensions. I suppose you haven’t had time to think about our printing ventures, the diary etc. - I wouldn’t bring them up now but for the fact that Henry (this is our secret) has done nothing in Hollywood, has been without work and still is, and so I have to take action. - We had several plans — you thought feasible; you said you knew of people who would care to read the Diary - We talked about the possibility of printing something - the stories - I’m mailing them to you today. Do you want to read them? If you are not too busy, would you think about these things?

I know a restaurant for you to try: Le Bistro - Lexington and 50th - pure French - and so lively -

Anais