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Correspondence from Karl Germer to Philip Kaplan
West Point, Calif. Box 173
Feb. 20, 1960.
Dear Philip:
Thanks for your interesting letter of Feb. 7 and for the Highet book. His chapter on A.C. is so obviously dishonest and studiously distorted, that I begin to suspect the intention—and just take notice of it as part of a general campaign, of which I have to observe frequent symptoms. They begin to lose their nerve.
If you hear more about the Peabody Museum exhibit, please tell me.
I have not heard from Mr. Parisi, but would love to. If you have a chance—can you poke a little in the ribs.
I have no positive word from Aries [Publisher]. They are Regardie's [Israel Regardie] publisher, who. I know, is deadly hostile to A.C., after having learnt everything from him. So I wonder.
If your N.Y. publisher is seriously interested, I would be most happy to let him reprint The Book of Lies which has been unavailable for a long time. Another book that is in demand is "Little Essays Toward Truth"—also unavailable anywhere.
I cannot place "Norman Douglas"—at the moment anyway. I have a book here "Oscar Wilde and the Black Douglas" (Hutchinson 1949) by The Marquess of Queensberry. It gives the list of the Clan Douglas, in which I cannot find Norman. The book was sent to me because it reprints (on p. 145) A.C.'s poem "A Slim Gilt Soul" (Winged Beetle, p. 110, "to Lord A—", Alfred Douglas).—Who was this Norman Douglas, do you know?
I would, naturally, like to have a copy of the catalogue of the Galerie Daniel Cordier with the notice on A.C., 'the pornographer.' But don't go out of your way about this. Some 30 years ago I was close to a group of painters in Berlin and saw their private pornographic sketches and exercises—but in Europe nobody would therefore call them pornographic. I'm sure Michelangelo, El Greco, maybe even Raphael, in their time amused themselves occasionally.
I had a brief note from Yorke [Gerald Yorke]—he writes very rarely nowadays—mentionings only. "I think the Sword of Song must have been the exception if A.C. altered or rewrote the Mss a lot as [Philip] Kaplan suggests" I am just passing this on to you—If I don't ask Yorke about something special, I don't expect to hear from him at all. I know he is extremely busy in London having this responsible position with the Hutchinson Group.
I trust you will soon be able to report that you and your wife's health—as well as your business—are o.k.
All the best, sincerely
Karl.
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