Henry Miller’s Lust for Life
“I have no money, no resources, no hopes. I am the happiest man alive. A year ago, six months ago, I thought I was an artist. I no longer think about it, I am. Everything that was literature has fallen from me. There are no more books to be written, thank God. This then? This is not a book. This is libel, slander, defamation of character. This is not a book, in the ordinary sense of the word. No, this is a prolonged insult, a gob of spit in the face of Art, a kick in the pants to God, Man, Destiny, Time, Love, Beauty… what you will. I am going to sing for you, a little off key perhaps, but I will sing. I will sing while you croak, I will dance over your dirty corpse… To sing you must first open your mouth. You must have a pair of lungs and a little knowledge of music. It is not necessary to have an accordion, or a guitar. The essential thing is to want to sing. This then is a song. I am singing.” – Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller
Henry Miller is my favorite novelist. This is not because of his subject matter, storylines, or blunt language. Simply put, his prose like passages interspersed with slice of life vignettes are exuberant and forcefully expressed. His vivid flow of metaphor and limitless descriptive vocabulary make for the most joyfully Bohemian reading that any social contrarian could wish for. His first novel, Tropic of Cancer, was published in France in 1934 but banned in the US. It later shocked the American public when it was finally available in 1961. 27 years later!
My favorite work of his is The Rosy Crucifixion trilogy. The first book, Sexus, contains a detailed description of a music teacher of unusual prowess who “sent them (students) reeling into the streets” with post instructional enthusiasm. Even though I finished his entire bibliography many years ago, I return to it often for pure enjoyment. Now I’m off to find a used copy of The Air Conditioned Nightmare. If you would like to join me and Henry, we might sneak in a game of naked ping pong.
Must see! The Bathroom Monologue Part I. Watch Part II