Brassaï on Miller

"Miller spent 1930-39 in Paris, years that were crucial to the formation of his autobiographical novels Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn. In this memoir (originally published in France in 1975), the photographer Brassaï (who also photographed and wrote on Picasso) recounts events that later appear, often in exaggerated or distorted form, in Miller's work. Miller's experiences and relationships were all fodder for his fiction, and it is fascinating to see these incidents and characters observed with another eye, especially one as practiced as Brassaï's. He also presents a nonjudgmental interpretation of Miller's pornographic (and to some, misogynistic) moments. Brassaï was clearly fond of Miller, and this is not a critical work, but there is something intriguing about one artist commenting on the life of another. Appropriately illustrated with 16 of Brassaï's exceptional Paris photographs; recommended for literary collections."
--Janice Braun, Mills Coll., Oakland, CA
Brassaï, Henry Miller, The Paris Years, $14.95