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10.
A collection of correspondence with booksellers Henry W. Wenning, Ulysses Grant Roman and James Roman, c. July 1961-December 1965, together with the landmark book catalogue, The ‘Outsiders’, published by Roman Books of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The correspondence relates to the acquisition of manuscript material from Burroughs, initially by Henry W. Wenning of New Haven, Connecticut, and following the publication of The ‘Outsiders’ in late 1962, the author’s dealings with Grant and Jim Roman regarding further acquisitions.
The collection comprises 10 typed letters signed and one autograph postcard signed from William Burroughs to Henry W. Wenning; 7 typed letters signed from William Burroughs to Grant Roman; 8 carbon copy typed letters from Grant Roman to Burroughs and 9 from Jim Roman to Burroughs; 3 carbon copy typed letters from Grant Roman to Gâit Frogé, with a TLS from her in reply; 1 carbon copy typed letter from Jim Roman to Maurice Girodias; and a Fine copy of the The ‘Outsiders’, the first rare book catalogue devoted to post-war avant-garde literature and the Beat Generation.
i) 10 TLS from William Burroughs to Henry W. Wenning, the first of them dated July 19, 1961 and the last August 11, 1962, one of them complete with its original mailing envelope and two featuring the author’s holograph notes (25 and 11 words respectively). Together with an APS, postmarked London, December 22, 1962. The letters are addressed from five different locations: Tangier (US Consulate); Newton, Mass. (Timothy Leary’s house); New York City (Grove Press); 9 Rue Gît-le-Coeur, Paris (Beat Hotel); and 25 Lillie Road, London (Empress Hotel).
In the first, Burroughs writes to Wenning from Tangier telling him that “My method of work is such complicayed [sic] by constant changes of residence that i almost never have a complete typescript of any published work. What I do have in hand is a bundle of manuscript [sic] dating back some years: containing material from which The Soft Machine was made in various stages of correction. I do not as a rule make hand written corrections. If you would be interested to look at this material and decide whether you want it I will be glad to send it along to you. At the present juncture I am very short of money and would need postage. I have bundles of manuscript scattered around in London Paris Venice some recoverable some probably not.”
In the fourth letter, written from the Beat Hotel in Paris and dated November 23, 1961, Burroughs discusses his arrangement with Wenning for sending the final typescript of “Novia Express”, noting that “It has occured [sic] to me that there will not be a final typescript until the work is complete; I assume that is you want the final typescript and not various intermediate copies”.
The ‘Outsiders’ catalogue, issued a year later, lists “A complete Burroughs manuscript of the book Novia Express”, as it was then called, containing “all of the early versions except the final version sent to the publisher”. The catalogue entry notes that the item will include “the final publisher’s version with the galley sheets when received from the author.” Burroughs mentions that he was writing to Barney Rosset “asking him to send me the galley proofs to date which I will sign and send along to you”. In a further letter, sent from New York (April 28, 1962), he informs Wenning that “as soon as they [Grove Press] have made the proofs I will forward the manuscript to you -- This first version material is not in very good order since it was not used in sequence - However I think that combined with the final manuscript it will show how the book developed.”
In the tenth and final letter, sent from the Beat Hotel and dated August 11, 1962, Burroughs tells Wenning that “Nova Express, of which you have the first draft, will be published in early ’63 unless Rosset changes his mind again [in fact, not published until November 1964]… Meanwhile I have written another novel entitled Word Falling - Photo Falling which Olympia will publish in September [re-titled “The Ticket That Exploded”, it was published in December 1962]… I would have written to you before but have been working full time on the new novel With Best Wishes [signed] William Burroughs”.
The postcard (9x18cm.), addressed by Burroughs to Wenning from London, bears the holograph message: “Merry Christmas and best wishes for ’63 William Burroughs”. The card, the only example encountered by this cataloguer, reproduces an “Infinity” photo-collage (a “collage of collage of collage to the Nth power”, as Burroughs once referred to it), made in collaboration with Ian Sommerville at the Beat Hotel c. 1961/62.
The letters’ recipient, Henry W. Wenning, was the owner of a modern rare book business from 1958 until 1967, when he sold his entire stock to York University, Nebraska. After changing his mind about accepting a library position at Washington University Library in St. Louis, Missouri, he continued in the book trade until July 1971. Known as an aesthete and raconteur, he was a friend and confidant to Samuel Beckett, Ezra Pound and William Carlos Williams, and published work by Robert Duncan and William Everson. He also provided Jim Roman with the majority of the books and other material that established him in the trade, including the manuscripts by Burroughs discussed in the letters.
ii) 7 TLS from William Burroughs to Grant and Jim Roman (since all the letters begin “Dear Mr. Roman”, the precise identity of the recipient is not always clear). The first letter is dated September 11, 1962, the last December 17, 1965; addressed from, variously, 9 Rue Gît-le-Coeur, 51 Gloucester Terrace, London, and Tangier; three are accompanied by their original mailing envelopes.
In the first letter (a reply to Grant Roman’s introductory letter from September 6, 1962; see section iii below), Burroughs begins by saying that “Mr. Wenning has informed me of his arrangements with your firm”, mentions that the title of his new book has changed to “The Ticket That Exploded”, and promises that “I will have the final typescrpt [sic] … towards the end of this month or early in Oct.” By the time of the second letter (November 3, 1962), Burroughs has received the final manuscript back from the printer and writes: “The first version material is so incomplete and uncorrected -- I make most of my corrections mentally and work directly on the typewriter -- that I don’t know whether it would be of any value to you.”
In the third letter (November 26, 1962), Burroughs refers to his previous arrangement with Henry Wenning - “Would you be agreeable to taking over this arrangement?” - and adds that “It is to be hoped that the value of these manuscripts will go up since publication of Naked Lunch and perhaps we could work out an agreement giving you exclusive representation.”
In the fourth letter (January 29, 1963), Burroughs replies to Roman’s suggestion (made in a letter dated December 7, 1962) of publishing a text on “the story of Naked Lunch” (“I really don’t have anything very definite to say that isnt said in the book itself”) and tells him about a new work, “Dead Fingers Talk”: “The material from The Soft Machine is rewritten so that the manuscript contains about fifty pages of typescript, the rest consisting of pages cut from the books and pasted on type paper -- I wonder if you would be interested in purchasing this manuscript?”.
By the fifth letter (October 10, 1963), Burroughs has reconsidered Roman’s suggestion of publishing his work: “I was thinking in terms of a short book preferably illustrated with material I could provide. I have very definite ideas as regards layout and format which it is difficult to realize in books designed for large issue.”
In the final letter, dated December 17, 1965, written almost a year and a half after the previous one, Burroughs apologises for being “such a tardy correspondent”, replies that he remembers their meeting in London (in a letter to him dated July 2, 1963, Jim Roman wrote that “It was delightful and my pleasure having tea with you in London”), and discusses the three “distinct editions” of “The Soft Machine”, asking “If you would be interested in purchaseing [sic] any of this [manuscript] material”.
iii) 8 carbon copy typed letters from Grant Roman to William Burroughs, dated September 6, 1962 - January 23, 1963. The first is an introductory letter referring to “The purchase agreement of “The Outsider” collection from Mr. Wenning” and a request “to purchase directly from you your original manuscript and/or typescript, together with the final version and galley sheets, of your new novel entitled Words - Falling - Photo Falling” for $150.00.
In the third letter (October 17, 1962), Grant Roman tells Burroughs that “We are informed that your Naked Lunch will be published by Grove Press on November 20” and that “We believe our catalogue [The ‘Outsiders’] will entice orders for your books including the forthcoming Naked Lunch” (this publication date differs from the one given in Maynard & Miles’s bibliography, and Miles’s biography [p.401], but accords with that given in “Literary Outlaw” by Ted Morgan [p.342]).
The seventh letter (2pp., typed on Roman Books stationery), dated December 7, 1962, is in part a reply to Burroughs’ letter of November 26 and discusses in some detail Burroughs’ previous financial arrangements with Henry Wenning. Roman tells him that “Our OUTSIDER catalogue has now reached many hands and many Universities and individual collectors. A number of the librarians in the acquisition departments of the Universities have expressed their enthusiasm for this history making catalogue”, before adding: “At this date, we have not sold any of your manuscripts” (seven months later they were still unsold). He is optimistic, though, that these items will eventually sell, and encouraged by news ”that the New York Times Book Section will soon write-up our catalogue, thereby giving an impetus to the sale of the catalogue’s contents.” He also proposes publishing original material by Burroughs - “Some small 50 to 100 pages of your message, experiences, and how and where, the creative flow of NAKED LUNCH. We believe such an essay, attractively hardbound on good paper, limited and signed would sell out quickly. We would like to publish such an ephemeral production. Is this of interest?”.
iv) 9 carbon copy typed letters from Jim Roman to William Burroughs, dated February 5, 1963 - August 5, 1964. The first replies to Burroughs’ letter of January 29, 1963: “As you will see from the enclosed avant-garde manuscript catalogue, we are having difficulty disposing of the manuscripts we now own. I believe that Roman Books today own more of the avant-garde manuscripts than any other dealer in America. We believe that eventually these items will be taken by collectors for [sic] universities.” He goes on to suggest disposing of Burroughs’ future manuscripts “on a consignment arrangement” in which “we would guarantee you 2/3 or approximately 70% of the price we would obtain, if and when sold.” The letter ends by asking “How is the Grove edition of Naked Lunch selling?” and “We never did hear from Maurice Girodias… in regard to some of your books.”
In the following letter (February 16, 1963), Roman writes that “As I seem to already own about all of your manuscripts, I suppose I should also own the DEAD FINGERS mss and the rewritten version of SOFT MACHINE. Please put your suggested selling price on these.” He inquires as to whether or not Burroughs has “a group of letters from a popular contemporary author [he] might consider selling… Or perhaps some signed first editions?”, closing: “Do you see Jonathan Williams in London?”. In a subsequent letter, from July 2, 1963, he mentions that Williams “wants ROMAN BOOKS PRESS to do some publishing” (Roman Books published a book by Jonathan Williams in 1964).
In the sixth letter (October 21, 1963), Roman elaborates on his proposal for publishing a work by Burroughs: “I would very much like to see what mss. you might have in mind for a short book and the illustrations you speak of… Perhaps you are thinking of your The Exterminator” (Burroughs wrote to Brion Gysin three days later telling him that “Jim Roman the rare book man writes me that he is interested to publish an illustrated signed edition of some unpublished work. Perhaps we could work together on this”; a few months later, on February 4, 1964, Burroughs wrote again to Gysin, telling him that his three-column newspaper layouts, such as “The Last Post” (see item #48), could be published by Jim Roman, seemingly an early idea for what would later become “The Third Mind” project).
v) 3 carbon copy typed letters from Grant Roman to Gâit Frogé at Librairie Anglaise, Paris, dated October 9, November 14, and December 13, 1962 respectively, each concerning orders for Olympia Press first editions of books by William Burroughs. Together with a TLS on headed notepaper from Frogé (October 12, 1962) in which she agrees to “supply fine copies in dust jackets of THE NAKED LUNCH and THE SOFT MACHINE at $4.00 each including postage” (a holograph note has been added below, probably by Grant Roman). All four letters stapled together at top edge with a Librairie Anglaise business card. Together with a carbon copy typed letter, dated July 3, 1963, from Jim Roman to Maurice Girodias.
vi) Catalogue Number Three: The ‘Outsiders’. A Collection of First Editions, Autograph Letters, Manuscript Material by Avant-Garde and ‘Beat’ Generation Authors of Prose and Poetry Since World War Two. Fort Lauderdale, FL: Roman Books, Inc., nd. [November 1962]. 8vo. Stapled wrps., front cover with deckle edge. 60pp. + 4pp. introduction by David Meltzer, printed on pink paper: “The works gathered in this catalogue represent a selection of the underground literature produced in America during the past 15 years” (Meltzer, a Beat poet whose early poetry books appear in the catalogue, previously worked for the Discovery Bookshop in San Francisco). Fine. 750 copies printed.
This groundbreaking catalogue, comparable in importance to Margie Cohn’s pioneering work in modern first editions, lists 457 items, nine of them by William Burroughs, and includes much of the manuscript material discussed in his correspondence with Henry Wenning and Roman Books. Item #40 (F8 in Maynard & Miles, incorrectly dated) describes “typed fragments and source material for two books: The Soft Machine and Naked Lunch”, and prints a short quote from one of the three letters by Burroughs included in the lot ($165.00). Further highlights include a “unique holograph version” of “Bomb” by Gregory Corso ($375.00), and twenty-three drawings for “American Express”, along with his holograph notebooks and journals; Allen Ginsberg’s own copy of “Howl and Other Poems”, with his corrections and additions ($60.00); the signed and lettered edition of “Doctor Sax” by Jack Kerouac ($17.50); the corrected typescript of “Cain’s Book” by Alexander Trocchi ($335.00); and six issues of Semina, including the fourth featuring a contribution by Burroughs ($6.00).
It’s unclear how commercially successful the catalogue was, though the correspondence indicates that there were no immediate buyers for the Burroughs manuscripts. It’s also not clear if subsequent catalogues were issued. Sometime before December 1965, however, Grant Roman, then approaching retirement, donated a portion of his inventory to Florida Atlantic University, including Corso’s holograph of “Bomb”, and a few months earlier, in February 1965, Henry Wenning, the source of much of the catalogue’s stock, sold the William Burroughs manuscripts discussed in the correspondence (and listed in The ‘Outsiders’) to Ohio State University.
A fascinating correspondence, shedding light on Burroughs’ earliest dealings with rare booksellers, his relationship to manuscript material that had outlived its utility to him, and offering glimpses of how some of this material was used.