Greeting digesteers!

We put the space heater on this morning and whipped out the turtleneck fleece, fearing the worst, but the sun broke through on this, a placid Friday afternoon.

Check out the view of the stage (wedding on Saturday and Philip Glass' Days and Nights Festival on Sunday!) then, below that, the Digest begins in earnest!

Henry & "The End of Obscenity"

Up until the 1960s, your copy of Henry's "Tropic of Cancer" might be seized by the US Postal Service before reaching your mailbox.

Selling copies of Cleland’s "Fanny Hill" was considered illegal. "Lady Chatterley’s Lover" by D. H. Lawrence was deemed pornography with no redeeming social value.

Today, these novels are celebrated for their literary and historic worth. "The End of Obscenity" is Charles Rembar’s account of successfully arguing the merits of such great works of literature in front of the Supreme Court.

As the lead attorney on the case, he—with the support of a few brave publishers—changed the way Americans read and honor books, especially the controversial ones.

Get the book on Amazon here, and check out this great review in Kirkus here!

Speaking of obscenity, free speech, etc...

In her new (ish) book, "HATE: Why We Should Resist it With Free Speech, Not Censorship," Nadine Strossen, professor of law at NYU School of Law, argues that an "expansive approach to the First Amendment is most effective at promoting democracy, equality, and societal harmony and that anti-hate speech laws are not effective in reducing the feared harms, and worse yet, are likely counterproductive by giving enforcement officials the power to suppress vital expression and target minority viewpoints."

It's provocative stuff. Here's Strossen giving a talk at Claremont McKenna College...

Get "Big Sur Observed!"

"Big Sur Observed" is a rare book. It contains unique Big Sur stories written by the amazing Jeff Norman along with drawings by Kip Stewart.

It retails for $18.95, but you, dear digest member(s) can get it (until we issue for only $12.95.

Just Paypal that amount to magnus@henrymiller.org with the message "Big Sur Observed" and your address!

(This book is so rare there isn't a presentable photo of it on the internet, hence we had to take one with our computer -- see left.)

Behold the Travelling Kurt Vonnegut Exhibit!

As you know, we're big fans of and friends with the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library in Indianapolis, whose creation was inspired by the Henry Miller Memorial Library.

(Incidentally enough, The KVML is also a huge proponent of free speech.)

Anyway, Ball State University students created a Travelling Kurt Vonnegut Exhibit for the Library back in 2012, and we're happy to report it's still going strong!

It arrived at the La Grange Library in La Grange, IL on Sept. 24 and will be there till Nov. 9!

Meanwhile, Nadine said...

"Thought you would enjoy a picture of someone wearing an HML shirt in the backwoods of Maine!!"

(Yes, Nadine, we would - and do!)

Title page (and quote from Miller) from the book by Elmer Gertz published by Roger Jackson in 1996.

And speaking, yet again, of
obscenity, free speech, etc..

Remember Elmer Gertz?

The man who helped give Henry Miller the permission to say 'Fuck.'*

Elmer and his wife Maime came for a visit to the Library two years before he died. Elmer treasured his friendship with Henry. Read about it in one of our previous post here.

More on Elmer Gertz in NYT here.

* Brother Antonius famoulsy expressed this simple truth in his own inimitable way at the celebration of Henry Miller's 100th Birthday here at the Library in 1991.

Elmer Gertz

Elmer and Maime at Henry's house on Partington Ridge.

...and to quote Ricky Nelson..."That's all she wrote!" See you next month!

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