2006-06
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/31/2006
LEARY, Timothy (Outside looking in 1920 - Inside looking out? 1996) Self proclaimed "Guru" of the movement to use hallucinogens in order to achieve expanded states of consciousness, credited with inventing the slogan:"Turn on, Tune in, Drop Out" . While his views initially caught the interest of many, his increasingly extreme views in the later 1960s isolated him from a number of former and potential allies. A highly unusual and likely unique relic of Dr. Leary's earlier attempts at autobiography, being the type written draft of the first chapter of his autobiographical work:"High Priest". Apparently written entirely while under the influence drugs, the draft makes interesting but extremely difficult reading. The draft comes with a 1p. 4to. cover letter, originally mailed with Leary's typed chapter and addressed to Playboy editor Murray Fisher ,who met Leary several years earlier while conducting his first Playboy interview. Typed on Leary's "League of Spiritual Discovery" letterhead on March 27, 1967 and signed :"Tim" , the letter forwards Leary's work to Murray, claiming to have completed chapters one, two , and fifteen, though only the first chapter was mailed to Playboy. The letter reads, in part ….:" The title is High Priest ….I'd like you to look these chapters over not in an official capacity but as a friend of mine who knows about editing. Anything you could send in the way of suggestions would be welcome ". With the chapter is an interoffice memo dated April 11, 1967, in which Playboy literary editor Jim Goode writes to staff member Robie Macaulay stating that:"…The attached is apparently a first chapter of Tim Leary's autobiography. A truncated one, in that I think it starts when he chews his first mushroom at 40 or thereabouts, thereby sparing us reading about his earlier life….I'm sending this to you because publication in Playboy depends entirely upon its literary quality He has used a …acidhead form to tell the story of the first mushroom experience…If you think it has no literary value, We'll drop it…" In another memo dated the following day, literary editor Robie Macauley briefly types that: I think that this is quite undistinguished as a literary piece. As for the content, I agree thoroughly with John and Murray. Underneath this note someone has added in pencil: "Murray, would you reject Please?" To convey the true "feel" of this draft it is necessary to arrange Leary's words on the paper as he did in the draft: here I believe Dr. Leary is discussing his sensations upon ingesting a number of mushrooms. Quoting literally: "Suddenly I begin To feel Strange. Going under dental gas. Goodbye. Mildly nauseous. Detached. Moving away away ………………………………………………………..away From the group in Bathing suits On a terrace Under the bright Mexican sky." Unfortunately it gets even worse. Here's a quote from a few pages later, when Leary is apparently 'Peaking" and is on a roll: "Viennese analyst. Comic. Laugh. .Laugh. laugh. Laugh. Can't stop. Laugh Laugh. All Look at me. Astonishment. More Laugh laugh laugh laugh. Whiskers looks up, red tongue flicks from shrubbery. Lick Lips…… The Rabbi! Psychoanalytical rabbinical rabbit! Convulsed in Laughahafter." Apparently Dr. Leary was easily amused. Throughout the chapter , while this stream of consciousness continues to go on unrelentingly on the left side of the page, the right side is reserved for paragraphs such as this example placed across the page from the passage just quoted:: "At the heart of the mystery of Eleusis lay a secret. In the survivor's texts there are numerous references to the secret, but in none is it revealed." If any of our readers can see the connection between this statement and the one referring to the Psychoanalytical rabbi directly above it, I'm open to suggestions. In any event it should come as no surprise that Playboy chose to reject High Priest. What DOES come as a surprise is that the "Book" was actually published in its entirety in 1968, though this chapter has become chapter two in the book. A copy of the book:"High Priest", now out of print, is included in this lot. While the condition of the participants in this book are subject to question, the condition of the manuscript is very good to fine.
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