“EVERYBODY IS MAKING MONEY OFF MY IDEAS… EVERYBODY EXCEPT ME”: EXTRAORDINARY JACK KEROUAC LETTER TO THE HEAD OF VIKING, NEVER MAILED BY KEROUAC, REVEALING HIS FINANCIAL FRUSTRATIONS AND HIS STRUGGLE TO “MAKE A NEW LITERATURE”

KEROUAC, Jack. Typed letter signed. [Florida]: Jan. 17, 1962. Single original leaf (8-1/2 by 11 inches) in typescript and manuscript hand on recto only. $19,500.

Typed 1962 letter signed by Kerouac to Thomas Guinzburg, head of Viking, whose father, at the urging of the renowned Malcolm Cowley, led Viking to famously publish On the Road (1957) and Dharma Bums (1958). This letter, with Kerouac’s handwritten “Unmailed letter to Tom Guinzburg ‘62” in the upper margin, offers rare insight into the writer’s battles with “old literary men” and his clear sense of life’s work as “narrative sections of one long life story” and extensively details Kerouac’s complaints about royalties, advances, and financial ill treatment by publishers.

This rare January 17, 1962 letter from Kerouac to Thomas Guinzburg, head of Viking, was likely written while he was in Florida, shortly before traveling to New York that February. Viking had, at the urging of the prestigious Malcolm Cowley, famously published On the Road (1957) and Dharma Bums (1958)—but had published no subsequent work by Kerouac. This letter, which he never mailed, offers fascinating insight into the writer's passions and resentments, his struggle to "make a new literature" and his certainty that "Everybody is making money off my ideas." Written at the urging of his agent, Kerouac pleads for sympathy in issuing Big Sur (1962) with another publisher—"would you've honestly advanced ten grand for Big Sur?" Yet then berates Guinzburg for his treatment at Viking during the publication of On the Road and Dharma Bums: when all those "old literary men in there who never even shook my hand because they thought I was a hoodlum." The letter is often most revealing for its insights into Kerouac's stormy relationship with Cowley, who he charges with turning "down everything: Gerard as well as Doctor Sax + Subterraneans as well as Desolation Angels… and he even had Dharma Bums mutilated beyond recognition" (italics added). At the letter's end however, as Kerouac realizes Guinzberg might "show this letter to Malcolm" (likely leading to the decision not to mail it), he tries to soften his anger: "I will always remember how he [Cowley] published me in the beginning but he shouldnt [sic] have expected me to write like his 1920 heroes… I've got nothing to do with Scott Fitzgerald and much to do with Joyce and Proust." In his closing to Guinzberg, who fought at Iwo Jima, Kerouac writes: "Please answer something, Marine." By decade's end Kerouac died from complications due to alcoholism.

In the upper margin of the letter Kerouac has written in red ink: "Unmailed letter to Tom Guinzburg '62." The letter's typescript reads: "Jan. 17 1962 Dear Tom Sterling tells me you feel very sad about the Big Sur business—But as I told you, when FS&Cudahy took Visions of Gerard, which Malcolm Cowley rejected summarily, they exercised their option on the next work, which is Big Sur—-Now remember if you will, for instance, that Malcolm rejected Maggie Cassidy as a full whole work by itself and wanted to publish it with miscellaneous short stories because as a novel it was 'too thin'—-Nevertheless Avon Books bought it whole and entire, as a novel, and advanced $7500 on it (this was before Hearst bought Avon books and subsequently stopped the distribution of my books there, as far as I can gather from never seeing it anywhere) (or the other $7500 novel, Tristessa, which was also turned down by Malcolm). Malcolm just turned down everything: Gerard as well as Doctor Sax [annotation in blue ink in Kerouac's hand] + Subterraneans [return to typescript] as well as Desolation Angels which is the least available novel I have (already written) in my desk—-and he even had Dharma Bums mutilated beyond recognition and I had to pay you $500 to have it restored to the original condition I wrote it in, receiving the bill from Viking which says 'Alterations' when the bill should have read 'Restorations.' But my point here is this: first, would your editors have accepted Big Sur?, and secondly, would they have advanced me the princely sum FS&Cudahy advanced for it? (biggest I ever got), and with the understanding that not a word is to be changed? Goddamnit Tom, I had a rough time even after the social bomb of On the Road getting as much as a $2000 advance on Dharma Bums! (I realize you werent [sic] the boss then, I dont [sic] mean your father but the old literary men in there who never even shook my hand because they thought I was a hoodlum). They were more excited about Dennis Murphy. That was because he wrote more like the 1920's than I did. My business is not to write like in the 1920's but the [sic] make a new literature, which I've done. You wouldnt [sic] have a Ken Kesey today without somebody breaking the ground & springing personal storytelling loose from 'fictional' devices.

From what Sterling says you feel real bad—-If you want a definite promise from me, in writing, as here, for the option on my next book, which I'll write late 1962 after traveling around, here it is. I made no definite promise about Big Sur, I just wanted to show it to you first because I liked you personally and I wanted to go back to firstclass [sic] publishing and figured things might have changed since you took over the reins of the company. But when Straus offered me that juicy offer I figured I needed the money. Everybody is making money off my ideas, like those Route 66 TV producers, everybody except me so when they offered me ten grand advance I took it. (Besides, as you know, I have old associations and memories with Bob Giroux from 1950 when he edited The Town and the City rather badly but not from any mean motive.) It seems no publisher wants me to exceed 490 pages tho [sic] everybody else is allowed to do so. Ah, it's a disgusting business, I'm sorry about how you feel, your feelings mean something to me…I remember the party at MacManuses' and what you said there…would it really make things up if I promised you my next novel? Really, tell me, frankly, let me know… and would you've honestly advanced ten grand for Big Sur? Now, come on, tell me. Let's straighten this out. Sterling is very concerned I think for personal reasons mostly. It all happened in a flash over the phone, I was joking with Giroux about a huge advance and he said 'Okay—-(we were phoning about Gerard manuscript)—-It's not against my principles to offer you my next novel because I can offer the one after that to FS&Cudahy according to their own optional demands. As for 'Desolation Angles,' that was rejected by Malcolm, and is wanted by Grove, but we dont [sic] want to offer it just yet so's not to clash on publishing dates. Meanwhile Tom please assure me in a letter or note goddamit [sic] that my main business is WRITING books [capitalization in original], after all….after all I'm not a businessman. My father was [underlining in original] but he also wasnt [sic] a novelist. If novels you can call them. Narrative sections of one long life story is what my 'novels' are… Well, finally, if you have to show this letter to Malcolm tell him for me that I will always remember how he helped me get published in the beginning but he shouldnt [sic] have expected me to write like his 1920 heroes after I got On the Road out of my system and hit out on my own style….I've nothing to do with Scott Fitzgerald and much to do with Joyce and Proust…. Please answer something, Marine [signed] Jack."

An exceptional signed letter in fine condition.