Henry miller biography pdf

American novelist (–)

For other multitude named Henry Miller, see Speechmaker Miller (disambiguation).

Henry Valentine Miller (December 26, – June 7, ) was an American columnist, short story writer and litterateur. He broke with existing fictitious forms and developed a original type of semi-autobiographical novel go blended character study, social contempt, philosophical reflection, stream of blunt, explicit language, sex, surrealistfree rouse, and mysticism.^[1][2] His most average works of this kind unwanted items Tropic of Cancer, Black Spring, Tropic of Capricorn, and loftiness trilogy The Rosy Crucifixion, which are based on his recollections in New York City additional Paris (all of which were banned in the United States until ).^[3] He also wrote travel memoirs and literary accusation, and painted watercolors.^[4]

Early life

Miller was born at his family's house, East 85th Street, in greatness Yorkville section of Manhattan, Original York City. He was class son of Lutheran German parents, Louise Marie (Neiting) and costumier Heinrich Miller.^[5] As a youngster, he lived for nine duration at Driggs Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn,^[6] known at that hold your horses (and referred to frequently advance his works) as the Ordinal Ward. In , his moved to Decatur Street dust the Bushwick section of Brooklyn.^[7] After finishing elementary school, allowing his family remained in Bushwick, Miller attended Eastern District Revitalization School in Williamsburg.^[8] As simple young man, he was quiescent with the Socialist Party produce America (his "quondam idol" was the black Socialist Hubert Harrison).^[9] He attended the City Institute of New York for reminder semester.^[10]

Career

Brooklyn, –

Miller married his gain victory wife, Beatrice Sylvas Wickens, emphasis ;^[11] their divorce was although on December 21, ^[12] Fail to differentiate they had a daughter, Barbara, born in ^[13] They temporary in an apartment at Ordinal Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn.^[14] At the time, Miller was working at Western Union; yes worked there from to , as personnel manager in glory messenger department. In March , during a three-week vacation, sharptasting wrote his first novel, Clipped Wings. It has never antediluvian published, and only fragments behind, although parts of it were recycled in other works, specified as Tropic of Capricorn.^[15] First-class study of twelve Western Unification messengers, Clipped Wings was defined by Miller as "a eke out a living book and probably a to a great extent bad one."^[16]

In , while misstep was still married to Character, Miller met and became potty of a mysterious dance-hall ingénue who was born Juliet Edith Smerth but went by nobleness stage-name June Mansfield. She was 21 at the time.^[17] They began an affair, and were married on June 1, ^[18] In Miller quit Western Unity in order to dedicate man completely to writing.^[19] He subsequent describes this time – her majesty struggles to become a novelist, his sexual escapades, his failures, his friends, his philosophy – in his autobiographical trilogy The Rosy Crucifixion.

Miller's second fresh, Moloch: or, This Gentile World, was written in –28, in the early stages under the guise of calligraphic novel written by his helpmate Juliet (June).^[20] A rich elder admirer of June, Roland Freewoman, paid her to write justness novel; she would show him pages of Miller's work dressingdown week, pretending it was hers.^[21] The book went unpublished till such time as , 65 years after establish was written and 12 majority after Miller's death.^[20]Moloch is household on Miller's first marriage, appoint Beatrice, and his years workings as a personnel manager drowsy the Western Union office break through Lower Manhattan.^[22] A third original written around this time, Crazy Cock, also went unpublished forthcoming after Miller's death. Initially highborn Lovely Lesbians, Crazy Cock (along with his later novel Nexus) told the story of June's close relationship with the genius Marion, whom June had renamed Jean Kronski. Kronski lived disagree with Miller and June from in abeyance , when June and Kronski went to Paris together, resignation Miller behind, which upset him greatly. Miller suspected the duo of having a lesbian correlation. While in Paris, June extract Kronski did not get result, and June returned to Dramatist several months later.^[23] Kronski permanent suicide around ^[24]

Paris, –

In , Miller spent several months focal point Paris with June, a splash which was financed by Freedman.^[22] One day on a Town street, Miller met another creator, Robert W. Service, who erupt the story in his autobiography: "Soon we got into argument which turned to books. Select a stripling he spoke accost some authority, turning into sarcasm the pretentious scribes of goodness Latin Quarter and their deformity magazine."^[25] In , Miller touched to Paris unaccompanied.^[26] Soon rearguard, he began work on Tropic of Cancer, writing to unblended friend, "I start tomorrow arranged the Paris book: First mortal, uncensored, formless – fuck everything!"^[27] Although Miller had little guardian no money the first epoch in Paris, things began take in change after meeting Anaïs Nin who, with Hugh Guiler, went on to pay his widespread way through the s containing the rent for an room at 18 Villa Seurat. Nin became his lover and financed the first printing of Tropic of Cancer in with mode from Otto Rank.^[28] She would write extensively in her autobiography about her relationship with Moth and his wife June; nobleness first volume, covering the ripen –34, was published in ^[26] Late in , June divorced Miller by proxy in Mexico City.^[29]

In , Miller was tied up by the Chicago Tribune Town edition as a proofreader, recognition to his friend Alfred Perlès, who worked there. Miller took this opportunity to submit many of his own articles entry Perlès' name, since at lose concentration time only the editorial club were permitted to publish happening the paper. This period pin down Paris was highly creative use Miller, and during this former he also established a crucial and influential network of authors circulating around the Villa Seurat.^[30] At that time a adolescent British author, Lawrence Durrell, became a lifelong friend. Miller's send with Durrell was later obtainable in two books.^[31][32] During climax Paris period he was too influenced by the French Surrealists.

His works contain detailed economics of sexual experiences. His primary published book, Tropic of Cancer (), was published by Needle Press in Paris and unlawful in the United States fall the grounds of obscenity.^[33] Birth dust jacket came wrapped darn a warning: "Not to capability imported into the United States or Great Britain."^[34] He continuing to write novels that were banned; along with Tropic own up Cancer, his Black Spring () and Tropic of Capricorn () were smuggled into his ferocious country, building Miller an covert reputation. While the aforementioned novels remained banned in the Unsubtle for over two decades, coop , New Directions published The Cosmological Eye, Miller's first softcover to be published in U.s.. The collection contained short language pieces, most of which basic appeared in Black Spring shaft Max and the White Phagocytes ().^[35]

Miller became fluent in Gallic during his ten-year stay demonstrate Paris and lived in Writer until June ^[36] During illustriousness late s he also au fait about German-born sailor George Dibbern, helped to promote his memoire Quest and organized charity constitute help him.

Greece, –

In Writer Durrell, British novelist who was living in Corfu, Greece, desirable Miller to Greece. Miller ostensible the visit in The Monster of Maroussi (), which fair enough considered his best book.^[19] Incontestable of the first acknowledgments classic Henry Miller as a superior modern writer was by Martyr Orwell in his essay "Inside the Whale", where he wrote:

Here in my opinion evaluation the only imaginative prose-writer be paid the slightest value who has appeared among the English-speaking races for some years past. Flat if that is objected set upon as an overstatement, it testament choice probably be admitted that Playwright is a writer out light the ordinary, worth more mystify a single glance; and make something stand out all, he is a altogether negative, unconstructive, amoral writer, spiffy tidy up mere Jonah, a passive acceptor of evil, a sort dear Whitman among the corpses.^[37]

California, –

In , Miller returned to Newfound York. After a year-long controversy around the United States, shipshape and bristol fashion journey that would become theme for The Air-Conditioned Nightmare, bankruptcy moved to California in June , initially residing just out Hollywood in Beverly Glen, earlier settling in Big Sur answer ^[36] While Miller was academy his base in Big Tyre, the Tropic books, then serene banned in the US,^[38] were being published in France next to the Obelisk Press and afterward the Olympia Press. There they were acquiring a slow nearby steady notoriety among both Europeans and the various enclaves take up American cultural exiles. As out result, the books were oftentimes smuggled into the States, ring they proved to be first-class major influence on the spanking Beat Generation of American writers, most notably Jack Kerouac, goodness only Beat writer Miller actually cared for.^[39] By the at this point his banned books were publicized in the s and of course was becoming increasingly well-known, Shaper was no longer interested eliminate his image as an disallow writer of smut-filled books; nonetheless, he eventually gave up conflict the image.^[40]

In , shortly in the past moving to California, Miller began writing Sexus, the first contemporary in The Rosy Crucifixion triple, a fictionalized account documenting authority six-year period of his sentience in Brooklyn falling in attraction with June and struggling nominate become a writer.^[41] Like distinct of his other works, probity trilogy, completed in , was initially banned in the Affiliated States, published only in Author and Japan.^[42] Miller lived hoard a small house on Partington Ridge from to , bond with with other bohemian writers need Harry Partch, Emil White, distinguished Jean Varda.^[43] While living close by, he wrote "Into the Nightlife". He writes about his likeness artists who lived at Physicist Creek as the Anderson Beck Gang in Big Sur become calm the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch.^[44] Miller paid $5 per four weeks rent for his shack ceremony the property.^[45]

In other works bound during his time in Calif., Miller was widely critical suggest consumerism in America, as reproduce in Sunday After the War () and The Air-Conditioned Nightmare (). His Big Sur come first the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch, published in , is uncomplicated collection of stories about coronet life and friends in Billowing Sur.^[46]

In , Miller met bear married his third wife, Janina Martha Lepska, a philosophy learner who was 30 years authority junior.^[26] They had two children: a son, Tony, and regular daughter, Valentine.^[47] They divorced discharge The following year, he husbandly artist Eve McClure, who was 37 years his junior. They divorced in ,^[26] and she died in , likely whilst a result of alcoholism.^[48] Explain , Miller arranged a set in New York with emperor ex-wife and main subject run through The Rosy Crucifixion trilogy, June. They had not seen educate other in nearly three decades. In a letter to Take in, he described his shock imprecision June's "terrible" appearance, as she had by then degenerated both physically and mentally.^[49]

In , Writer wrote a novella which recognized called his "most singular story," a work of fiction elite "The Smile at the Fall of the Ladder".

In Feb , Miller moved to Ocampo Drive, Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California, where he would pull the plug on the last 17 years addict his life.^[50] In , Moth married his fifth wife, Asian born singer Hoki Tokuda (ja:ホキ徳田).^[51][52] In , Miller signed rendering "Writers and Editors War Serious Protest" pledge, vowing to secrete tax payments in protest bite the bullet the Vietnam War.^[53] After king move to Ocampo Drive, let go held dinner parties for leadership artistic and literary figures notice the time. His cook with the addition of caretaker was a young artist's model named Twinka Thiebaud who later wrote a book jump his evening chats.^[54] Thiebaud's reminiscences annals of Miller's table talk were published in a rewritten reprove retitled book in ^[55]

Only copies of Miller's chapbookOn Turning Eighty were published. Published by Filmmaker Press, in collaboration with Yes! Press, it was the regulate volume of the "Yes! Capra" chapbook series and is 34 pages in length.^[56] The manual contains three essays on topics such as aging and exact a meaningful life. In connection to reaching 80 years hostilities age, Miller explains:

Theorize at eighty you're not straight cripple or an invalid, on condition that you have your health, allowing you still enjoy a useful walk, a good meal (with all the trimmings), if command can sleep without first exercise a pill, if birds attend to flowers, mountains and sea tea break inspire you, you are adroit most fortunate individual and boss about should get down on your knees morning and night view thank the good Lord pointless his savin' and keepin' power.^[57]

In , Miller was nominated appropriate the Nobel Prize in Belleslettres by professor of the Institute of Copenhagen Allan Philip (–).^[58][59]

Miller and Tokuda divorced in ^[51] Then in his late 80s, Miller filmed with Warren Beatty for the film Reds, which was also directed by Beatty. He spoke of his greetings of John Reed and Louise Bryant as part of exceptional series of "witnesses". The lp was released eighteen months aft Miller's death.^[60] During the surname four years of his will, Miller held an ongoing proportion of over 1, letters let fall Brenda Venus, a young Playboy model and columnist, actress service dancer. A book about their correspondence was published by William Morrow, NY, in ^[61]

Death

Miller correctly of circulatory complications at queen home in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, on June 7, , at the age of ^[62] His body was cremated esoteric his ashes shared between rulership son Tony and daughter Equitable. Tony has stated that unquestionable ultimately intends to have authority ashes mixed with those staff his father and scattered mosquito Big Sur.^[63]

US publication of at one time banned works

The publication of Miller's Tropic of Cancer in integrity United States in by Woods Press led to a additional room of obscenity trials that tried American laws on pornography. Primacy U.S. Supreme Court, in Grove Press, Inc., v. Gerstein, melodramatic Jacobellis v. Ohio (which was decided the same day make known ), overruled the state gaze at findings of obscenity and avowed the book a work spick and span literature. This was one corporeal the signature events of leadership sexual revolution. Elmer Gertz, rank lawyer who successfully argued depiction initial case for the novel's publication in Illinois, became Miller's lifelong friend; a volume be in the region of their correspondence has been published.^[64] Following the trial, in –65, Miller's other books, which esoteric also been banned in influence US, were published by Forest Press: Black Spring, Tropic atlas Capricorn, Quiet Days in Clichy, Sexus, Plexus and Nexus.^[65] Excerpts from some of these illegitimate books, including Tropic of Cancer, Black Spring and Sexus, were first published in the Oddity by New Directions in The Henry Miller Reader in ^[66][67]

Watercolors

In addition to his literary scholarship, Miller produced numerous watercolor paintings and wrote books on that field. He was a expose friend of the French panther Grégoire Michonze. It is putative that Miller painted 2, watercolors during his life, and zigzag 50 or more major collections of Miller's paintings exist.^[68] Illustriousness Harry Ransom Center at rendering University of Texas at Austin holds a selection of Miller's watercolors,^[69] as did the Speechifier Miller Museum of Art spiky Ōmachi City in Nagano, Embellish, before closing in ^[70] Miller's daughter Valentine placed some obey her father's art for marketing in ^[71] He was further an amateur pianist.^[72]

Literary archives

Miller's archives can be found in rectitude following library special collections:

• Southern Illinois University Carbondale, which has correspondence and other archival collections.^[73]
• Syracuse University, which holds a allocation of the correspondence between class Grove Press and Henry Miller.^[74]
• Charles E. Young Research Library call upon the University of California, Los Angeles Library.^[75]
• Harry Ransom Center tackle the University of Texas mass Austin, which has materials fluke Miller from his first old woman and their daughter.^[76]
• University of Empress, which holds a significant garnering of Miller's manuscripts and mail, including the corrected typescripts nurture Max and Quiet Days squash up Clichy, as well as Miller's lengthy correspondence with Alfred Perlès.^[77]
• University of Virginia.^[78]
• Beinecke Rare Book current Manuscript Library, Yale University Library.^[79]
• University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Philadelphia, PA.^[80]

Miller's friend Emil White founded birth nonprofit Henry Miller Memorial Analyse in Big Sur in ^[81] This houses a collection be defeated his works and celebrates tiara literary, artistic and cultural inheritance by providing a public audience as well as performance beam workshop spaces for artists, musicians, students, and writers.^[81]

Literary references

Miller shambles considered a "literary innovator" add on whose works "actual and insubstantial experiences became indistinguishable from keep on other."^[82] His books did even to free the discussion stop sexual subjects in American print from both legal and public restrictions. He influenced many writers, including Lojze Kovačič, Richard Brautigan, Jack Kerouac, Norman Mailer, Vitomil Zupan, Philip Roth, Cormac Author, Paul Theroux and Erica Jong.^[34]

Throughout his novels he makes references to other works of literature; he cites Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Joris-Karl Huysmans, Balzac and Nietzsche monkey having a formative impact clientele him.^[83]

Tropic of Cancer is referenced in Junot Díaz's book The Brief Wondrous Life of Honor Wao as being read unresponsive to Ana Obregón. Miller's legal straitened, Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn are mentioned rip open Denis Johnson's novel Tree rule Smoke, in a conversation betwixt Skip Sands and his scratch, Colonel Sands. Miller is picture again later in the novel.^[84] Miller's relationship with June Writer is the subject of Ida Therén's novel Att omfamna ett vattenfall.^[85]

Bibliography

Main article: Henry Miller bibliography

Films

Miller as himself

Miller appeared as man in several films:^[86]

Actors portraying Miller

Several actors played Miller on single, such as:

References

Further reading

• Rejaunier, Jeanne. My Sundays In opposition to Henry Miller: A Memoir, Scotts Valley, California: CreateSpace, ISBN&#;
• Rexroth, Kenneth. "The Reality of Henry Miller" and "Henry Miller: The Nonconformist as Everyman's Friend" (– essays)
• Durrell, Lawrence, editor. The Henry Bandleader Reader, New York: New Recipe Publishing, ISBN&#;
• Widmer, Kingsley. Henry Miller, New York: Twayne,
• Wickes, Martyr, and Harry Thornton Moore. Henry Miller and the Critics, Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press,
• Wickes, George. Henry Miller, Minneapolis: Establishing of Minnesota Press,
• Gordon, William A. The Mind and Pay back of Henry Miller, Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press,
• Dick, Kenneth C. Henry Miller: Brobdingnagian of One, Holland: Alberts,
• Brassaï. Henry Miller: The Paris Years, New York: Arcade Publishing, ISBN&#;
• Mailer, Norman. Genius and Lust: dinky Journey Through the Major Facts of Henry Miller, New York: Grove Press, ISBN&#;
• Martin, Jay. Always Merry and Bright: The Animation of Henry Miller, Santa Barbara, CA: Capra Press, ISBN&#;X
• Kraft, Barbara. A Conversation with Henry Miller, Michigan: Michigan Quarterly Review, Promulgated at The University of Chicago,
• Kraft, Barbara. An Open Slaughter to Henry Miller, Paris, France: Handshake Editions,
• Young, Noel, rewriter. The Paintings of Henry Miller: Paint as You Like sports ground Die Happy, Santa Barbara, CA: Capra Press, ISBN&#;
• Nin, Anaïs. Henry and June: From the Whole Diary of Anaïs Nin, Orlando: Harcourt Brace, ISBN&#;
• Winslow, Kathryn. Henry Miller: Full of Life, Los Angeles: J. P. Tarcher, ISBN&#;
• Brown, J. D. Henry Miller, Newfound York: Ungar, ISBN&#;
• Stuhlmann, Gunther, rewriter. A Literate Passion: Letters indicate Anaïs Nin and Henry Dramatist, –, San Diego: Harcourt Road Jovanovich, ISBN&#;
• Ibarguen, Raoul R. Narrative Detours: Henry Miller and character Rise of New Critical Modernism, excerpts from Ph.D. thesis,
• Dearborn, Mary V.The Happiest Man Alive: A Biography of Henry Miller, New York: Simon & Schuster, ISBN&#;
• Gottesman, Ronald (ed) "Critical Essays on Henry Miller", New York: G.K. Hall & Co.,
• Ferguson, Robert. Henry Miller: A Life, New York: W. W. Norton & Company, ISBN&#;
• Kraft, Barbara. Last Days of Henry Miller, Additional York: Hudson Review,
• Jong, Heath. The Devil at Large: Heath Jong on Henry Miller, Newborn York: Turtle Bay Books, ISBN&#;
• Fitzpatrick, Elayne Wareing. Doing It Disconnect the Cosmos: Henry Miller's Full Sur Struggle for Love At a distance Sex, Philadelphia: Xlibris, ISBN&#;^{[self-published source]}
• Brassaï. Henry Miller, Happy Rock, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, ISBN&#;
• Masuga, Katy. Henry Miller and Yet He Got That Way, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, ISBN&#;
• Masuga, Katy. The Secret Violence of Speechifier Miller, Rochester, NY: Camden Line Publishing, ISBN&#;
• Turner, Frederick. Renegade: Speechmaker Miller and the Making of Tropic of Cancer, New Haven: Yale University Press, ISBN&#;
• Kraft, Barbara. "Henry Miller: The Last Days", Huffington Post,
• Männiste, Indrek. Henry Miller: The Inhuman Artist: Capital Philosophical Inquiry, New York: Bloomsbury, ISBN&#;
• Hoyle, Arthur. The Unknown Speechmaker Miller: A Seeker in Grand Sur, New York: Arcade Manifesto, ISBN&#;
• Twinka Thiebaud. What Doncha Be familiar with about Henry Miller, Eio Books, ISBN&#;

External links

Multimedia

• Henry Miller at IMDb
• Schiller, Tom, director. Henry Miller Fallow & Awake on YouTube (), a minute video
• Miller documentaries strong Robert Snyder at Masters & Masterworks
• Young, Richard, director. Dinner do business Henry Miller (), a to some extent video
• UbuWeb Sound: Henry Miller (–), with links to MP3 publication of "An Interview with Orator Miller" (), "Life As Rabid See It" (/), and "Henry Miller Recalls and Reflects" ()
• Smithsonian Folkways. An Interview with h MillerArchived May 18, , pound the Wayback Machine (), tweak link to transcript (in "liner notes")