The Rock & Roll Americana Auction

Lot #741:

Herman Wouk Signed Letters “The Caine Mutiny" (2)

A pair of insightful letters signed by author Herman Wouk that make mention of his novel “The Caine Mutiny” (1951) for which he won the Pulitzer Prize in fiction. Typed on his stationery, in his letter dated May 19, 1970 Wouk responds to the Public Information Office at Columbia University, explaining, “My first and main motive for starting to give papers in university custody …was a simple fear that otherwise the rats and the trash collector would get them…” , “…”I thought manuscripts loke “The City Boy,” “The Caine Mutiny,” and “Marjorie Morningstar…should be preserved for a while. Columbia, my alma mater, was the natural choice for a repository.” Wouk concludes, “Access to the papers is by individual permission. In general, serious students with a specific purpose are welcome. Gossips or curiosity-seekers are not.” In his subsequent letter Wouk gives specific permission to uses a page from his manuscript draft of “The Caine Mutiny,” for the purpose of a feature story on the author’s collections at Columbia. Accompanied by one mailing envelope.

Letters 7.125 X 10.5 and 8.5 X 11.

Very good condition.

Gotta Have Rock and Roll Certificate of Authenticity.