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Correspondence from Karl Germer to Philip Kaplan
Hollywood 46, Cal. 2432 Laurel Pass
October 5, 1957.
Dear Philip:
I have been searching for a suitable house in a desirable location: free from smog, high enough altitude, in the midst of pines (to remind me of Europe), and all the rest. I have found it and I am moving there, I think, October 18. Packing was, of course a big job, and more or less, this is now completed. In its midst I received your letter of Sept. 23.
I am surprised you like the "Vision and the Voice", if you do indeed, it would be a tribute to your spiritual vision or what you may call it. Many people think that apart from the so-called "Holy Books [Volume I, Volume II, Volume III]", this is the greatest book Crowley has obtained and written. But it requires years of study, and opens up its secrets only to a very high attainment.
"The Gospel" [The Gospel According to St. Bernard Shaw] you find difficult to read? It is a very poor production, our first one, in fact, when we had to experiment. It was printed to rescue it from oblivion. The object magically speaking, was, I believe, to destroy Christianity on certain higher planes, which work themselves out in the next centuries. Apart from this the poetical passages from "The World's Tragedy" (at the end) stem from a spiritual fact, and vision, which reason over some millennia of the life of Western humanity. I know of no one who sees this.—
My "own story" ? You seem to refer to my Concentration Camp book, never printed, though nearly, in 1935, when I had a contract with the London "Evening Standard", to be signed on a Friday in November 1935. But Lord Beaverbrook returned from a visit of 4 days with Hitler and Co., summoned all his editors, rules: nothing must be printed against the Nazis! That killed my contract. I still have a spare MS., but it seems so far away, who would be interested in it now?
Thanks for the 2 copies of "In Memoriam" [In Memorium - John Yarker]. When packing my books I saw my lone copy of "The Equinox of the Gods", held it for days, and yesterday mailed it to you by book post. Judge it for yourself and think it over. It is, of course, the first ed., but was mailed out for magical reasons with the second lot, and bears the small label on the title page. The price? I hate to tell you. A local dealer came to my library, had not seen this original copy for years and offered me $25, which I refused. If you want it at that price, o.k., you can keep it with my best wishes. If not, I'll be glad to have it back—to my new address which I will mail to you when I am properly installed. The place is Westpoint, Cal., on route No. 8, going to Lake Tahoe, 3200 feet up.
Should you receive the book in time, I'd appreciate a brief confirmation to the present address, if I get it before Oct. 16.
My best wishes for the further growth of your collection.
Sincerely
Karl Germer
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