The Booster - November 1937

The third issue to be published under the watch of Miller-Perles-Durrell was The Booster 3.9, released in November 1937.

Having offended the conservative readership with their suggestive tale from Greenland in the October issue, Golf Club president Elmer Prather asked that they print a disclaimer in the November issue, pronouncing the Club's "disassociation with the journal." Ian MacGiven, in Lawrence Durrell: A Biography, quotes a letter that Miller wrote to Durrell, responding to the Club's severence: "Congratulations! We are free men!" (p. 180)

Inside front cover - Another promotion for Anais Nin's Diaries, as with last issue, except this one has the header "Henry Miller has the honor .." (from William Ashley's bibliography).

Page 11 - Death by Gerald Durrell. Another poem, written by Lawrence's 11 or 12 year old brother. This one was apparently so good that Lawrence accused Patrick Evans--his friend and his brother's tutor--of writing it and submitting it under Gerald's name (LD: A Bio - Ian MacNiven, p. 177).

Page 28 - Epilogue to Black Spring by Henry Miller. I've been unable to find out exactly what this epilogue is all about. Black Spring had been completed for a couple of years by this point. This epilogue was re-published in Henry Miller Miscellanea in 1945.

Page 39 - How to Lead the Podiatric Life by Henry Miller. Just about all of the original advertizers had abandoned the magazine by this point. The only advertizer they were able to solicit and maintain (according to Mary Dearborn's The Happiest Man Alive, p.195) was a black, female podiatrist from Chicago, named Baratta Alexander. Ms. Anderson took care of feet in Paris at the time. Miller wrote this two-page "comic" essay in her honour.

The Diary Of Anais Nin Vol. II 1934-1939 makes a brief reference to the podiatrist: "The evening was devoted to the story of the visit Henry paid to a chiropodist where he had gone to get an advertisement for The Booster. Henry was delighting in the humor about corns, dirty feet, etc. Both he and Fred had been there and had their feet done. Henry was hysterial with amusement." (Oct. 1937, p.261-262)

There has been little else I've been able to find on the internet or elsewhere regarding this particular issue. If you know more, let me know.