December 2012 Auction Ends Tuesday, December 18th, 5pm Pacific

''I am not Hemingway (nor was meant to be)''

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/18/2012

Joseph Heller typed letter signed, regarding a collection of critical essays on ''Catch-22,'' compiled by James Nagel, to whom this letter is written. Dated 23 March 1974, Heller writes on his personal letterhead, ''Your offer to write a piece correcting the errors in Lehan-Patch [an article from ''Critical Essays on Catch-22''] is most generous and almost too tempting to resist. I wonder, though, whether an essay doing simply that is worth your time or would be of sufficient interest to Modern Fiction Studies to merit publication--especially since the correct biographical information is not particularly dramatic in itself. I am not Hemingway (nor was meant to be), and while I'm not as reclusive as Thomas Pynchon or J.D. Salinger, I doubt that what I do is any more exciting. But if you want to give the project some thought or make some queries, I will be happy to supply you with what answers you need for the questions you raise. Josh Greenfeld, by the way, had a number of small errors, and you were caught by a minute one in your introduction: I was a bombardier and never a navigator, and where he ever got the idea for that mistake I will never know (except that Josh tends to form very strong opinions and will not be deflected from them by the truth). If you want to do it for yourself--not for me--I will cooperate to the extent I can; and set whatever conditions you wish to. I haven't any. But please--don't feel you have to undertake it out of any sense of obligation to me. I imagine the record will be corrected in time. The collection is extremely good, I think, particularly for the very high quality of the new pieces, and you should be satisfied. I know I am. [signed] Joe Heller''. 7.25'' x 10.25'' letter is in near fine condition, and includes Heller's personal transmittal envelope.