Lot 430
Kerouac, Jack. Typed letter signed ("Ti Jean"), 1 page, 11 x 8½ in. (Lowell, Mass.), Nov. 11, 1967. To former girlfriend Lois (Sorrels) and her husband, painter Jacques (Beckwith): "Well I had nothing to say. Memere [Jack's mother] got paralyzed October 1966 in Hyannis…I tried to take care of her 24 hours a day by myself, couldnt, so married Sebastian Sampas' sister Stella (Stavroula) Sampas, who…still has to see her own mother every day (old) so we all moved to Lowell….Nothing more fancy than that. Actually not too bad. The strain, or stress, made me write my best book since Road, which is to be published 68 [Vanity of Duluoz], but since Stella does all the shopping I dont walk to store no more and so I now weigh 196 instead of my usual 189. Awful. But the domestick scene is okay." He asks for their New York itinerary and says he might meet them there, "return together to West Cornall cause I wanta see those woods Aint been even to NYC since 1964. Been to Paris, Montreal, homcountry Gaspé. I guess I'm still the same and I guess you're still the same….Lois, write some poems…Jacques, finger out the secret of the tree and mail it to me. In return, I'll mail you a four-unit Diesel locomotive postage due & cash on delivery. (ugh). Whatever happens to all of us in our lives, must be a trial laid on us by the Holy Ghost or whatever…as an interesting byplay to the fact and the truth that the only reality is Human Character, probably….see how it runs, see how it runs….Frère Jac-ques….Anyway, it's not true I dont like you any more, it's just this awful mess I'm in. My wife is a serious and sollemn Greek sorta peasant and that's what I've become but I like it better than being a glittering New York hip wiseguy otherwise and so that's good too. For blowing off steam, I shoot pool and drink at brother in law's bar. I have small woods in back of house and I'm going to meditate in em when I get money to build fence. Time marches on. I love you as far as the stars, so, write soon Ti Jean."
Kerouac was born Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac in Lowell, Mass., to parents who were from Quebec, Canada, so he spoke French at home before learning English at school. "Ti Jean" was a diminutive of Petit Jean, or Little John. Drinking at his brother-in-law's bar would contribute to Kerouac's death less two years later at the age of 47.
Estimated Value $3,000 - 4,000.
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| Realized $1,800 |
