Sell or Auction Your Jack Kerouac Autograph Letter Signed for up to Nearly $4,000 or More at Nate D. Sanders Auctions
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Jack Kerouac was a writer and poet and best-remembered for being one of the leaders of the non-conformist beat movement along with writers Gary Snyder, Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs. His 1957 book On the Road chronicles several trips of Kerouac with friends across the U.S. and is one of the top examples of Beat literature. A manuscript of On the Road was famously typed on a single scroll of paper as reloading the paper as Kerouac typed disturbed his flow. All of Kerouac’s books are still in print and include the titles The Town and the City, Doctor Sax, The Dharma Burns, Visions of Cody and Big Sur.
Below is a recent realized price for a Jack Kerouac autograph letter signed. We at Nate D. Sanders Auctions can obtain up to this amount or more for you:
Jack Kerouac Autograph Letter Signed. Sold for Nearly $4,000.
Here are some Jack Kerouac items we have sold:
Jack Kerouac Signed Autograph Letter
Jack Kerouac signed autograph letter postcard, “Jack” and printed “Jack Kerouac (signed)” on the reverse, measuring 5.5″ x 3.25″ to an associate. In part: “Please return manuscript of Corso’s Bomb… I waited for you that night & wasted work time. However if you want to talk please do not bring ladies, I have too many of my own to contend with – Am reading Casanova.” A very clean piece, giving insight into Kerouac’s dedication to writing and his active love life. An excellent Jack Kerouac signed autograph letter. Sold for $2,559.
Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road” First Edition, First Print
First edition, first printing of “On the Road” by Jack Kerouac. New York: Viking Press Inc., 1957. With all first printing points including the placement of the $3.95 price on the right hand side of the front dust jacket flap, and the portrait of Kerouac on the rear dust jacket flap. Copyright page reads “Published in 1957 by the Viking Press, Inc.”, with no other printings listed, as well as “Printed in U.S.A. by the Colonial Press Inc.” as required. “On the Road” has been hailed as the most important novel of the Beat Generation, exploring the years just prior to the unfurling of the 1960s. At the time of its release, “The New York Times” described it as “the most beautifully executed, the clearest and the most important utterance yet made by the generation”. Book measures 5.5″ x 8.25″ and runs 310pp. A small amount of chipping to dust jacket, mostly to spine; very good plus condition. Book has very slight shelf wear; near fine condition. Sold for $1,800.
Jack Kerouac autograph letter signed in pencil upon a postcard to his psychiatrist Dan DeSole. In full, ”Dear Danny – If you come [to] Brockton Stella’s gonna keep the Hyannis house, Tony’ll [Tony Sampas] be in Lowell where I’ll meet him around Saturday the first or Sunday the second of October so he can drive us back to Hyannis & pick up Stella – I’ll be in Italy 3 days. SEE YA! Jack.” Poem is on verso, next to addressee panel. Postmarked Hyannis, 26 September 1966. Measures 5.5” x 3.25.” One corner heavily creased, else very good. Sold for $1,200.
Jack Kerouac Twice Signed Check
Jack Kerouac twice signed check issued by Security National Bank in Northport, New York. $100 check written out to himself and dated 11 May 1959. Boldly signed, “Jack Kerouac” on front and also endorsed by Kerouac on verso. Check is likely written in Kerouac’s hand as well. Drawn from the joint account of Jack and his mother, Gabrielle, whom he lived with for the majority of his life. Check measures 6.25″ x 2.75″. Bank stamp over signature on verso, otherwise mint condition. Sold for $735.
Here are some additional literary autograph items we sold:
Exceptional Ernest Hemingway autograph letter and signed envelope, one day after catching the 500 lb. marlin in Bimini that inspired ”The Old Man and the Sea”, apocryphal until this letter which documents for the first time in Hemingway’s own words not only the size of the marlin, but also its attack by sharks, similar to the plot of Hemingway’s novel. Letter is accompanied by a photo of Hemingway and his friend, Henry Strater, with the half-eaten marlin. Dated 8 May (identified as 1935 by the “Hemingway Letters Project”), Hemingway writes to Erl Roman, the fishing editor of the ”Miami Herald”, describing the catch in detail, the attack by the sharks, and also mentioning that he is sending some photos to Roman. Letter in pencil reads in part,
”Will make this very short on acct. Bill Fagen leaving May 8 / Dear Erl: Yesterday May 7 Henry H. STRATER, widely known painter of OGUNQUIT Maine, Pres. Maine Tuna Club, fishing with me on Pilar landed Blue Marlin which weighed 500 lbs on tested scales after all of meat below anal fin had been torn away by sharks when fish was brought to gaff– Had him ready to take in when sharks hit him– Fish 12 feet 8 1/2 inches– Tail 48 inch spread–girth 62 in. (will send all other exact measurements when have chance to use Steel tape on him). Fish hooked off Bimini, hooked in corner of mouth, never layted, jumped 18 times clear, brought to boat in an hour such a heavy fish jumped hell out of himself. We worked him fast our system. Had him at boat when shark hit him. Strater has football knee, went out of joint, had hell with it, we wouldnt handline fish, he got him up himself, in one hour 40 minutes, we got him over the roller after Some lifting boy, all blood drained, meat gone below anal fin to tail, but fish completely intact, Fred Parke is mounting it–“
Two page autograph letter is accompanied by an envelope signed in pencil, addressed in Hemingway’s hand to ”Erl Roman Esq. / Miami Herald / Miami / Fla.” and signed by Hemingway on the verso, ”E. Hemingway / Yacht Pilar / Bimini / B.W.I.”
Importantly, Hemingway’s account of the marlin catch differs from other anecdotal stories of it, one of which describes Hemingway using a ”machine gun” on the shark, which purportedly attracted more sharks to the feeding frenzy. It’s likely Hemingway left out this detail, as Strater would blame its use on attracting more sharks to the marlin, depriving Strater of a world record marlin catch. “Old Man and the Sea” has been noted by Hemingway scholars as most likely inspired by this particular 7 May 1935 trip, including Michael Culver in his biography “Sparring in the Dark: Hemingway, Strater and The Old Man and the Sea”.
Letter measures 8.5” x 11”, envelope measures approximately 6.25” x 3.625” and photo, which is a modern reproduction, measures 7.75” x 9.75”. Letter is uniformly toned with some chipping along edges, and small piece of tape at very top. Envelope has some foxing and torn edge from opening. Both items are in very good condition. A remarkable letter in Hemingway’s own words of a legendary fishing adventure that inspired one of his most popular, Pulitzer-Prize winning novels. Sold for $28,000.
Lot of 38 letters signed by ”To Kill a Mockingbird” novelist Harper Lee, many with exceptional content, including Barack Obama’s presidency, Eudora Welty’s criticism of Lee for only writing one book, defense of ”To Kill a Mockingbird”, Lee’s Southern heritage, recollections of her father, Christianity and her apparent atheism, a funny story of Vivien Leigh, Laurence Olivier & Helen Keller, and even making fun of Hitler. Lot includes 26 autograph letters signed ”Harper”, six autograph letters signed with the initial ”H”, four autograph notes signed ”Harper”, a Christmas card signed ”Harper”, and one autograph note unsigned. Most letters are on her personal stationery and all but one include the original envelope in Lee’s hand. Lee writes the letters to her friend Felice Itzkoff of New York, whom Lee affectionately calls ”Clipper” as in Yankee Clipper. The letters span from December 2005 to May 2010, with unique content excerpted below:
In a lovely letter dated 20 January 2009, the day of Barack Obama’s inauguration, Lee writes, ”On this Inauguration Day I count my blessings…I’m also thinking of another friend, Greg Peck, who was a good friend of LBJ. Greg said to him, ‘Do you suppose we will live to see a black President?’ LBJ said, ‘No, but I wish her well’…Harper”. In a letter dated 18 April 2009, Lee writes of her affection for Eudora Welty, even though Welty obliquely criticized her: ”…alas, I never had the privilege of meeting Miss Welty – You know I’m not a ‘tuft hunter,’ ie, seek out ‘names’ to meet – it’s one of the downers of life that N never got to meet her. She was the only person I ever ‘wanted to meet.’ I once heard her say something about ‘Harper Lee’s case’ – talking about one-novel writers. I could have told her: as it turned out, I didn’t need to write another one – much xxx, H.” In a letter dated 13 May 2009, Lee recounts a funny story of her friend Vivien Leigh and Leigh’s ex-husband Laurence Olivier who inadvertently insulted Helen Keller: ”My Helen Keller story is second-hand, but it comes from good authority. I was acquainted with Vivien Leigh – long divorced from Lord Olivier. Nevertheless her chief topic of conversation was ‘Larry.’ (She had a mine of good stories.) He was ‘on’ one night and was considerably annoyed by the ‘noise’ coming from two people in the audience. ‘Somebody making slapping sounds-can’t the management put a stop to it?’ / ‘If you want to put a stop to Helen Keller’s enjoyment of your program, have her interpreter be quiet,’ he was told. ‘It is sometimes rather noisy, when things go as they should.’ Of course, Olivier melted, begged Miss Keller’s pardon, and gave the rest of his performance in her honor, seemingly unaware of the ‘noise.’ / Vivien was a character and I loved her. She, after he left her, ‘adored Larry,’ but I understand was not very nice to him beforehand – it was so like her! Much love, H.” In a letter dated 14 May 2009 (”I think”), Lee writes of her friend Horton Foote, the Academy Award winning screenwriter for ”To Kill a Mockingbird”, who had just died. She compares Foote to her own father, in part, ”…The service seemed to catch Horton in full. If he was your friend, it meant you had another ‘best friend.’ I am so proud to say that he was my friend. I loved him with all my heart and shall miss him for as long as I am aware of anything. I never knew anybody like him except for my father, they had many traits in common. He was a great gentleman, and he did look like God! / The Foote children will have a lot to live up to. Their mother was as influential in their growing up as their father…There is so much evil in the world today that I guess people don’t recognize plain goodness. I wish ‘heaven’ were true. Much love, Harper”. Sold for $12,500.
J.D. Salinger typed letter, clearly signed “J.D. Salinger” in blue ink, dated 14 May 1966 and written while on a trip to Bermuda. Addressed to a Carrol Roderick in Hampshire, England, 3pp. letter — in typical Salinger style with much tongue-in-cheek content — begins with a list of made up headlines about local town goings-on in Bermuda, and then continues in small part, “…They asked me to justify American policy in Vietnam and were rather shocked when I told them this I could not do because our VN policy stinks…” On page two, Salinger writes 10 lengthy stories about the “headlines” from page one, calling it a “six-penny edition”. The letter then reflects upon the saying that “we have the government we deserve” with Salinger writing, “…It would appear that the British and Americans have been very naughty indeed to have the governments they currently have…[signed] J.D. Salinger”. Letter measures 8.5″ x 11″ on three separate sheets. Folds from mailing, staple holes and paper loss at the upper left corners; overall in very good plus condition. Photo has been intentionally blurred. Sold for $9,424.
Superb lot of letters by J.D. Salinger on writing, with content on developing characters, style, getting published, patience in one’s career, innate talent, handling rejection, etc. Lot includes (1) a 3pp. single-spaced typed letter signed ”Jerry” with copious content to a fellow, aspiring author Rose-Ellen Currie, with Salinger’s hand edits throughout. Letter is accompanied by original mailing envelope with Salinger’s embossed name and address; (2) Typed letter signed ”JDS” in type; (3) Typed page spanning 1/2 page where Salinger critiques one of Currie’s stories. Four pages on four sheets measure 8.5” x 11”, and half sheet measures approximately 8.5” x 5.5”. Envelope postmarked 23 June 1958 measures 6.75” x 3.75”. Folds, and a few small holes to the unsigned letter. Overall very good to near fine condition. Incidentally, Rose-Ellen Currie would go on to publish several short stories in the late 1950s, including one in ”The New Yorker”. Around the same time, she tragically lost the manuscript for her novel in a New York taxi and never recovered it. She would ultimately publish a novel entitled ”Available Light” in 1986, and a collection of short stories, ”Moses Supposes”, in 1994. A very rare and personal collection of correspondence by Salinger. Sold for $9,375.
Ernest Hemingway autograph letter signed, announcing the birth of his son, Gregory Hemingway, to his friend Charles MacGregor. MacGregor was a founding member of the literary group Algonquin Round Table (or ”The Vicious Circle” as they called themselves), to which Hemingway belonged, along with Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley and Donald Ogden Stewart, all of whom Hemingway mentions here. Written from Kansas City, Missouri, letter is undated, but includes the original envelope postmarked 16 November 1931, four days after Gregory was born. Two page letter on single sheet measures 8.5” x 11”. Folds and very small tears at a few folds. Overall in very good condition. Accompanied by envelope handwritten by Hemingway, measuring 6.25” x 4”. Sold for $7,500.
Marcel Proust autograph letter signed spanning seven pages, penned while writing his magnum opus, ”In Search of Lost Time”, as indicated in the letter. Proust writes at the end of 1909 to Max Daireaux, a man 13 years his junior whom he had met the year before in Cabourg, France; Cabourg was the inspiration for the resort town of Balbec in Proust’s novel. In this letter, Proust comes across as rather animated, clearly conscious of how his words will be interpreted by Daireaux, whom he lightly chastises for not visiting him, and ”wonders why did you never come?” He also expresses his desire to help Daireaux in his professional literary pursuits. Seven page letter is written in black ink on four sheets of paper, each measuring 5.25” x 7.125”. Letter has been documented in Kolb’s archive of Proust letters, Vol. IX, number 126. Toning to a few pages, and horizontal folds, overall very good plus condition. Sold for $4,688.
Truman Capote ALS — 1959 — “…did you know that I am being sued for $800,000 – how’s that for a laugh? – by some nutty woman who claim’s she is the girl in ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’…”
Autograph letter signed by Truman Capote to his Uncle Seabon regarding a lawsuit over “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” Dated 30 October 1959, letter reads in part: “…I am so very sorry that the brokerage venture has not worked out satisfactorily…I wish I could send you five hundred dollars – not as a loan, but a gift; for I owe you that and much more. And perhaps, by the first of the year, I will be able to do so. But in the meanwhile I am actually in debt (to the government for back income taxes) and have all the terrible expense of fighting my lawsuit (did you know that I am being sued for $800,000 – how’s that for a laugh? – by some nutty woman who claim’s she is the girl in ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’)…I’ve just come out of the hospital; was there two weeks, and have to go back next week for a few days. Nothing too serious; just treatments for an abnormally low blood pressure that leaves me feeling rather rotten on a full-time basis…Love / Truman.” Accompanied by holograph cover signed “Capote”. Composed in blue ink, 2pp. letter on card-style stationery measures 5.25″ x 8.25″. Near fine condition. Sold for $3,034.
Truman Capote Signed Autograph Letter
Truman Capote signed autograph letter, “Truman,” spanning four pages. Letter dated 16 January 1961 from Verbiek, Switzerland to a Boris Groudinko, Professor in Leningrad. Interesting letter reads in full, “Dear Boris, I was deeply touched to receive your Christmas telegram – how thoughtful, how kind and good of you! And then the books! So far, have read the Gogol, and enjoyed it immensely. Bless you and thank you. I am going to London for a few days early in February, and from there will send you a book I think will amuse you highly: a ‘Dictionary of American Slang.’ Full of strange, and marvelous words. I expect to see Nancy [Ryan] in London. She is getting married – at last. To a British drama critic – a very intelligent man. She is extremely happy. It is beautiful here in the Swiss Alps – I am working on my new book, but also do some skiing, and see a great deal of Charlie Chaplin, who lives nearby. He wants to visit Russia this spring, and we may go together. You will like him. Do you know S. Richter, the pianist? He and Kate Roosevelt became great friends during his American tour. He had a tremendous success in America – most deservedly: what a superb artist! I hope this finds you, your wife and daughter are well and happy. Wishing you the best of new years, dear Boris. With love, Truman (Capote) (signed).” Clean and legible 6″ x 8.25″ letter in fine condition. Excellent Truman Capote signed autograph letter. Sold for $2,500.
Harper Lee Autograph Letter Twice-Signed — Detailing Numerous Lee Family Medical Crises & Lee’s Promise to Never Sign a Book Again
Harper Lee autograph letter twice-signed, dated 2 February 2000, on famed author’s personal stationery. Addressed to longtime fan and acquaintance Don Salter. Written in black ink, letter reads in part: “…I am three years behind in thanking you for your wonderful Christmas presents…I think you might find it in your heart to forgive me when you learn that for the last 3 seasons the Lee family have undergone crises of epic proportions. They began when my ‘middle’ sister was found at home by her home-coming son near death from emphysema + acute bronchitis. Before his holiday was over he suffered a coronary occlusion and was hospitalized…Two Christmases ago found my sister Alice in a horrendous situation that would take pages to describe. Suffice to say that it went on for months and has left her totally without any balance…This past Christmas was my time: it was a nightmare that nearly did me in…one of the merchants there [eBay] let the world know that it could have a signed book for list price. The world responded with orders totaling between 9 + 10 thousand copies…I swore I’d never sign another book again…” Signed “Nelle Harper Lee”. Card, measuring 6.25″ x 4.5″, with gilt “NHL” monogram at top, has densely written text on front and back. Includes original envelope, signed “Lee” atop the return address. Near fine. Sold for $2,000.
Alexandre Dumas Autograph Letter Signed
Alexandre Dumas autograph letter signed, with no date. Letter is written in French and is signed boldly, ”Dumas” in black ink. With a second note to verso in another hand. Document measures 8.25” x 5” with an uneven left edge and some toning throughout; ”Alex. Dumas” is written in pencil to upper left. Overall very good. Sold for $1,344.
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