Okay, I was remiss! (1 Viewer)

A well-meaning list member pointed out to me that it's good form to introduce one's self in any new neighborhood. I knew that!

Anyway, please forgive my oversight.

I'm a 58 year old disabled veteran and rare bookdealer with a long-term interest in Bukowski and a collection that goes back to the beginning. Having had an open store In Monterey while still on active duty, I had the great fortune to become acquainted with folks like Henry Miller and Charles Bukowski, as well as John Martin himself. I will be listing a few items from time to time, and I think you will be surprised at the qualkity and importance of them. A divorce a few years ago totally wiped me out, but I now have access to my books again, and am willing to share. My registration profile is accurate, and I welcome any inquiries or requests.

Sincerely,

Werner Saemmler-Hindrichs [Vladimir/Vova]
 
....disabled veteran...while still on active duty...Henry Miller and Charles Bukowski, as well as John Martin himself...
Welcome Werner, how did you get hurt? Were you part of the language training that was going on at the Army post in Monterey? Henry Miller, Charles Bukowski and John Martin, I'm impressed.
 
There are some wonderful stories that go with that. As far as the disability, mine's two-fold - part of it's 'service-related' and part of it is not, I managed to totally whack myself several times, in incidents which would be amusing if they happened to someone else. As Wanda Coleman puts it, "Scars make your body more interesting. . ." The part I'm actually at liberty to talk about is more mundane: instead of getting promoted to Colonel and becoming the Military Attache to some Middle Eastern garden spot, I was discovered to have a rare, non-life-style-related, heart condition and retired. But I'm still alive. I was part of the language training in Monterey (five times!), and am bilingual in German and English, but fluent in Russian and Ukrainian as well. The link-ups with the aforementioned luminaries began early in my life. While still in high school in New Orleans, my family was friends with an elderly artist couple in the French Quarter, Franz and Ida Weiss. Franz and Ida were extremely close to Gypsy Lou and Jon Webb, who were perennially broke. According to Ida, my parents actually helped them out for the publication of some of the Loujon books, and when many years later my wife and I went to visit Ida, she gave my wife stacks and stacks of the sheet sets used for both Crucifix in a Death Hand and the Miller Order and Chaos. My wife was an art bookbinder, and as many here will recall, the Loujon books were printed on incredible paper. When I asked my parents directly about this, they recalled nothing other than their relationship with the Weiss's.

While in Monterey, I used to hang around with the literary low-lifes in Carmel Valley, Big Sur, San Jose, and of course, the Bay area. One evening while sitting at Nepenthe with a few buddies (in varying states of 'enlightenment') we were discussing the recently released film of Quite Days in Clichy when we were verbally assaulted by an old geezer who called us a bunch of 'self-important young pups.' Said old geezer invited us back to 'his place' where the drinking and occasional illegal activity continued. It was not until his substantially younger Japanese wife walked in that we slowly -- very slowly -- understood that we were in the house of Henry Miller himself. In retrospect it was easier to have a literary relationship with Miller than with Bukowski -- at least for males. I have some wonderful inscriptions in my collection.

Incidentally, in those days there was the Coast Gallery in Big Sur, which was run by a gent named Harold Richard Ross, frequently styled Miller's son in law or nephew. He displayed complete books and individual sheets of some of the more beautiful productions: The single most beautiful book of the period was an extract of Black Spring called Into the Nightlife (Miller had written it out holographically, and Bezalel Schatz had done the wonderful illustrations), but some of the early Martin broadsides were also hanging there. That's also where I saw my first copy of Bukowski's Crucifix. It was Ross's manner to introduce himself back then as " "I'm Harry Dick; Harry Dick Ross," as laconically as possible.

MORE TO FOLLOW
 
Mark!

Recht herzlichen Dank fuer die freundliche Aufnahme! Ich bin ab uebermorgen in Muenchen fuer 2 -4 Tage solltest Du in dem Gebiet sein, mal, wie wir dass immer in Berlin gesagt haben, "up ne Molle!"

Werner
 
Ha! Das ist geil, Werner! Ich würde mich ja gerne mit dir treffen, aber ich wohne so ziemlich am anderen Ende Deutschlands, genau gesagt in Saarbrücken, 10 Minuten von der franzäsischen Grenze entfernt. Bin aber ein Kind des Ruhrpotts aus dem Herzen der Republik und erst seit ca. 2 Jahren hier im Saarland. Du hast offenbar eine Menge erlebt und ich freue mich auf weitere Anekdoten; von Miller angequatscht zu werden und dann vällig bekifft erst in seinem Haus zu merken "Oh mein Gott, er ist es! Henry Miller!" finde ich schon mal ziemlich genial.

Herzlich willkommen!

Now I think we should return to English before we are circling the drain... ;)

You're typing perfect German, did you spend many years here? In the Besatzerzone?

Mods, please don't hit me with a flagpole!
 
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Hi Werner:
Interesting story about Miller, but I thought he was with Hoki--his Japanese wife--after he came south to Pacific Palisades, or did
he travel back up to Big Sur with her? I think he had left Big Sur by the early Sixties?
 
Welcome aboard, Werner! Funny Miller story. I liked the, "Quiet Days In Clichy", movie, made by Danish director, Jens Jørgen Thorsen, in 1970. I wonder what Miller thought of it.
 
Wow Werner, I'm glad I brought that out of you. Sounds like you have the gift of gab or looks like you have the gift of writing the tale. Either way nice to become acquainted and enjoy your stay.
 
I already apologized on the sale forum for my absence: while I was in Germany, I contracted pneumonia and disappeared from the radar screen for about five weeks. I'm back now, still coughing a little, but much better. Interestingly enough, I was afflicted with the google disease when I return; figured it would be easy to see if anyone had responded through the forum, so I searched on my last name and found an interesting aside. One forum member apparently bought a copy of Septuagenarian Stew which had been inscribed to me and my ex on Buk's 70th birthday. I had forgotten all about that one.
 
Thanks Mark! Now if I can get my head out of my ass, I'll start listing soon. The guys that had been working on access to my book barn took off for three weeks (so far).
 

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