[Rarebooks] FS: Superb archive of letters by Tennessee Williams: "I do not love life, despite my guilty claims that I do"

[Charles Agvent]

 From our latest catalogue of 137 items, nearly all recent acquisitions, 
by EUDORA WELTY and TENNESSEE WILLIAMS now posted on our web site.

WILLIAMS,  Tennessee. TYPED LETTERS SIGNED (TLSs). ARCHIVE OF  TWO
LETTERS  WITH  ENVELOPES.  New  Orleans: 1971 &  1072.  Two  revealing
letters,  both SIGNED as "Tennessee," one in ink with the address  and
date  (12/12/71)  also  in  Williams's hand and the  other  SIGNED  in
pencil  with  a brief postscript, both to a doctor in Alaska.  In  the
1971  letter,  Williams expresses his concern about the health of  his
companion  Oliver  [Evans]  and his own health: "I refuse  to  receive
electrocardiagrams    and  those  horrifying   great  extractions   of
blood....  I  just  go to pick up a fresh bottle  of  'nitro'  which I
never  have  use  for  but which I like to keep  in  the  frig  like a
country  ham  for  unexpected visitors...." He talks  about  going  to
Bangkok  with  Evans:  "I  love it over there.  I  also  have  'yellow
fever'.  And a romantic interest in Hong Kong." The other letter, with
the  envelope postmarked January 1972 addressed in pencil by  Williams
and  SIGNED  by him, is on two sides of a smaller sheet of  paper.  He
states  that he loves to give parties and talks about his relief  over
the  report on Oliver's health: "His intelligence and general humanity
are  so  far  beyond nearly everyone of my acquaintance that  he  is -
well,  a  sort of indispensable being. I do not love life, despite  my
guilty  claims  that  I do. And I don't enjoy it, really....  I  think
that  I am preparing myself for death and I think wisely so. There are
so  many things I don't want to out-live. In and outside myself." Fine
                                                               $5000.00

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