Post on 02-Jun-2018
8/10/2019 Heller Papers
1/24
curated by
Patrick Scott
Department of Rare Books and Special Collections
Thomas Cooper Library
University of South Carolina
8/10/2019 Heller Papers
2/24
8/10/2019 Heller Papers
3/24
PREFACE
JosephHeller's connectionwith SouthCarolina beganduring World War II when
he trained asa bombardier n Columbia and Walterboro. His connectionwith the
University of South Carolina beganwhen he participated n the 1980Writers Series
program. He returned n 1995 for the World War II Writers Symposium. n 1996
JosephHeller cameback o accept he Thomas CooperMedal and to deliver he
principal address t the University'sF. ScottFitzgeraldCentenaryCelebration.
Joemade riends at USC. I remember is gentle handling of JamesDickey, who felt
possessiveboutWorld War II ashis literary material;within a few minutes theywere
laughing.Joewasa connoisseur f barbecue, nd I commenceddispatchinghim meals
until he sent he Helleresquemessage:Please topsendingbarbecue.t's beginning o
taste ike chasserai."
When a dealeroffered he JosephHeller Paperso USC in 1997, Dean GeorgeTerry
grabbed hem for $135,000-which proved o be a steal. n October 2002, the day afrer
this exhibit opened,a New York auctionhousesold Heller's marked copy of Catch-22.
The p1:e-salestimatewas$60,000-$80,000; he book realized$105,160, but USC did
not bid. Georgegot a bargain n the papers,but research ollectionsare nevercomplete.
The Heller archive equiresmaintenance.
Valerie Heller, Joe'swidow, hasdonatedhundredsof Heller translations, omeof
which are described n this catalogue.Mter ChristopherBuckleycamehere o speakat
the opening of this exhibition, he gave he Thomas CooperLibrary his correspondence
with JosephHeller. Notable collectionsare magnets or benefactions. trength begets
strength.
There has neverbeena universitybetter han its library. Money is the enabling
ingredient n acquiring iterary collectionsand enriching a university's esearchesources.
But money can't do it without determination.The JosephHeller collection at USC
demonstrateswhat can be achievedwith little moneyand muchsavvy.Literature s one
big corporation,and everybody asa share.
Matthew J. Bruccoli
Jefferies rofessor fEnglish
and Curator ofAmericanLiterature
3
8/10/2019 Heller Papers
4/24
A NOTE ON THE EXHIBITION
This catalogue ecords he first public exhibition from the University of SouthCarolina's
JosephHeller Papers. he JosephHeller Papers, ~quiredby USC in 1997with Mr.
Heller's active nvolvementand support,are he largestcollectionanywhere or research
on his work, preservingover 150,000pages-drafts, typescripts nd cortespondence-
that document he author's achievement vera period of 30 years.
The exhibition chartsHeller's career, rom his New York childhood; war service
in North Africa, Corsica,and Italy; his earlywriting and plays; he greatsuccess f
Catch-22 1962) asbook, film, and play; and the successionf major novels hat
followed-Something Happened1974); GoodAsGold (1979); GodKnows 1984);
Picture This 1988); and ClosingTime 1994), Heller's return to Yossarian nd several f
the characters f Catch-22.Alongside he manuscripts or several ovelsare he file cards
on which Heller recorded deasand shaped entencesor his novels.Also on display s
Heller's scrapbookof publicity for Catch-22 nd lobby cards rom the film. In the last
sectionof the exhibition, two recently-publishedtems by ProfessorMatthew J. Broccoli
and Dr. Park Bucker (USC Sumter),an authoritativedescriptivebibliographyand page-
proof for a collection of Heller's short pieces,ndicate he research seof the archive.
It is a pleasure o acknowledge omeof thosewhosegifrs, oans,work, and interest
madepossible his recognition of one of the library's most significant ecentacquisitions.
Materials n the exhibition from the Heller archive tself, from the library's own holdings
of Heller's published books,and from the extensive ollectionof foreign-language
editions donated by Valerie Heller, weresupplemented y first editionsand posters
loaned for this exhibit from the collectionsof Prof. and Mrs. Broccoli. At the exhibition
opening, he library washonored o welcome he novelistChristopherBuckley,who
spokeon JosephHeller's achievement nd on his own friendshipwith Heller. Mr.
Buckley's alk was he library event n the University's 2002 Literary Festival, ndowed
by an anonymousdonor. Initial cataloguingof the Heller Paperswasconductedby
Paul Schultz,and exploratorywork toward the exhibition beganduring Prof. Broccoli's
spring 2002 honors seminaron JosephHeller. Finally, publication of this catalogue, sa
permanent ecord of this event,has beenwholly funded by the Thomas CooperSociety.
Patrick Scott
AssociateUniversity Librarian for Special Collections
4
8/10/2019 Heller Papers
5/24
THE EXHIBITION
Introduction: Heller in South Carolina
Heller in Flight Training
Individual Flight Record:0-759930, HeUer, osephNmi, 2nd Lt., January1943,
Columbia Army Air Base,S.C.
Heller in Columbia, S.C., 1996
JosephHeller at the Capital City Club, Columbia, S.C., September 4, 1996.
Taken during the third of Mr. Heller's visits o the University, for the Thomas
CooperLibrary'sF. ScottFitzgeraldCentenaryCelebration.
The Thomas Cooper Medal for Distinction in the Arts and Sciences
During his 1996 visit, Heller received he CooperMedal. Other recipientsof the
medal nclude Pat Conroy,JamesDickey, John Updike, John Jakes,Matthew J.
Broccoli,William Styron, Ray Bradbury,and GeorgePlimpton.
HeUer's1996 Addressat the University of South Carolina
"The Literature of Despair," yped outline and typescript,both with extensive
manuscript evisions.Gift of Matthew J. Bruccoli.
The addressHeller gave or the FitzgeraldCentenarywas subsequently
incorporated n his posthumousnovel Portrait ofAn Artist, as an Old Man (2000),
asa lecturedeliveredat the University of SouthCarolina by Heller's fictional alter
egoEugene ota. Excerptswere first published n Dictionary ofLiterary Biography
Yearbook: 996 (Detroit: Gale Research, 997): 120-123. Broccoli-BuckerB22.
1: The YearsBefore Fame
A Coney Island Childhood I
JosephHeller, manuscriptdraft c. 1996, for Now and Then, ariouslypaginated.
JosephHeller was born to immigrant parents n Brooklyn, N.Y., 1923and ived
there, n the Coney sland community, until the outbreak of World War II. These
pages&om an earlydraft for his autobiographicalmemoir, Now and Then 1998),
describe he community in which he lived, he work ethic of his youth, and his
childhood encounterwith an earlierstory of war, Homer's Iliad.
5
8/10/2019 Heller Papers
6/24
A Coney Island Childhood II
Graduation photograph,Public School 188, Coney sland,N.Y., January1937.
Donated by Mr. Howard Ehrenman,Brooklyn, N.Y.
Among his family
and friends during
his youth in Coney
Island, Heller was
alwaysknown asJoey.
Mr. Ehrenman,a
contemporaryat P 5.
188,comments: Joey
is in the lower row,
holding the sign... he
is directly above he
two S's n CLASS."
Heller was 14 at the
time of this photo.
A Record of Heller's
Unit During World
War II
EverettB. Thomas,
comp., Round he
World with the488th:
A More or Less actual Draft or NowandThen
Narrative Supported y
On-the-Spot ictorial Evidence. .p: n.p. n.d. [1946]. Signedby Heller beside is
photo on p. 165.
HeUer ervedduring World War II in the U.S. Army
with the 488th BombardmentSquadron.
hist~ry, from its formation in Columbia, S.C.
Tunisia, Corsica,and Italy,
Columbia, i
somethingof the flavor of squadronife.
6
8/10/2019 Heller Papers
7/24
2nd Lt. JosephHeller, USAAF
In 1943-44, Heller trained asa bombardierat Columbia Army Air Baseand in
Walterboro,S.C., subsequentlylying 60 missionsover taly, from basesn Tunisia
and Corsit:a.
From Heller's Wartime Flight Records
Theseofficial monthly records, rom the JosephHeller Archive, detail Heller's
flying time both during training and for his 60 missions.Heller obtained hese
copies n preparation or writing his memoir, Now and Then.
Corsica,Christmas 1944
The snapshot rom which this
picture wasenlargeddiffers from
that printed in the 488th Squadron
book, but was aken on the same
occasIon.
Loading Bombs for a Mission
Photo: The bespectacledigure on
the right, supervising he loading,
is Edmund]. Ritter (Orr in
Catch-22).
Bombing a Rail Bridge,
Orvieto, Italy
Photo: rom Round he World with
the 488th (1946).
BetweenApril 1943 and May
1945, Heller's squadronlew a total
of 479 missions,dropping bombs
totaling over 12 million pounds.
HeUer n Corsica, Christmas 1944
JosephHeller, c. 1944
A more nformal wartime
photograph, n leather light jacket.
8/10/2019 Heller Papers
8/24
Heller's First Published Story
Lt. JosephHeller, "I don't love you anymore," Story, 7: 115 [Servicemen'sssue]
(September-October, 945): 4(}--44.Wrappers, ignedby Heller (p. 40). Bruccoli-
Bucker,C1. Loaned by Mat~ew J. Broccoli.
The magazineStory, dited by Whit Burnet, provided a first venue or many
writers of Heller's generation.Heller's storywas abouta discharged oldier.The
biographicalnote states hat Heller was then trying to establish imselfasa
playwright.
Heller in CollaborationJoe
Heller and GeorgeMandel, TheBird in thePevverbloomuit. Carbon
typescript n blue binder: Lucy Kroll Agency 1952].
Following collegeat the
University of Southern
California and New
York University, an
MA at Columbia, and
a Fulbright year at
Oxford, Heller worked
in advertisingand
promotions in New
York. In addition to
publishing magazine Coverabel romHeller-Mandellay,1952
stories,he worked in
collaborationwith his boyhood riend GeorgeMandel on this unproducedplay
and on several nproducedscreenplays r preliminaty film treatments.
2: From Catch-18 to Catch-22
Catch-IS: The First Published Segmentof Heller's Novel
JosephHeller, "Catch-IB," 204-214, New World Writing, A New Adventure n
Modern Reading, th Mentor Selection.New York: New American Library, 1955.
Laminatedwrappers,nscribed o Arlyn Bruccoli. Bruccoli-Bucker,CB. Loaned by
Mrs. Broccoli.
Sixyearsbeforepublication of the novel, Heller published he first chapterasa
short story n this prestigious aperback eries.A second ebound copy s openedat
8
8/10/2019 Heller Papers
9/24
Heller's contribution. The subsequentitle changewas equired o avoid confusion
with Leon Uris's forthcoming book, Mila 18.
Catch-2~asSeenby Its First Reviewers
JosephHeller, Catch-22, Novel.New York: Simon & Schuster, 961.Advance
proofs,printed wrappers.Bruccoli-Bucker,A 1.1.a adv).
Both the publishersand Heller's
literary agents,Russell nd
Volkening, put specialeffort into
promoting Heller's book with critics
through distribution of advance
..
reviewcopies.
The First Edition of Catch-22
JosephHeller, Catch-22,A Novel
New York: Simon & Schuster,
1961. First edition, first printing,
in jacket, nscribed Matt's copy."
Broccoli-Bucker,A I.I.a. Loanedby
Matthew J. Bruccoli.
Heller's novelappeared n October
10, 1961.The initial print-run was
4,000 copiesonly, and, hough it
gained espectful eviews,t was not
an mmediatebestseller.
Advance proof for Catch-22
JosephHeller's Scrapbook
The scrapbook hownherewasusedby Heller to keepnewspaper lippings,
reviews,publicity items,and other promotional material elating o the publication
of his earlynovels.Shownhere s a news tem about he title change or his first
novel. Both the scrapbook nd most of the items in it are on highly acidic paper
and posesignificantconservation roblems.Gift of Matthew J. Bruccoli.
8/10/2019 Heller Papers
10/24
Promoting Catch-22 n Britain
The four postcards hownhere,with
cartoonsby Tony Hart illustrating
charactersrom Catch-22, ere
distributed by Heller's British
publisher, onathanCape.
The First British Printing
of Catch-22
JosephHeller, Catch-22.London:
JonathanCape, 1962. First edition,
first British printing, in jacket.
Bruccoli-Bucker,A 1.I.t.
Critical responseo the British
publication of Heller's novelwas
more mmediateand enthusiastic
than in the U.S. It washailed
as "uniquely funny and grimly
serious,"and as "the most striking
debut in American fiction since The
Catchern theRye."
British promotional cartoon card
Recognition n America: Headlining a
New Story Collection
JosephHeller, "World Full of GreatCities,"
11-23, in Nelson lgrens Own Book ofLonesome
Momters.New York: LancerBooks,1962.
Bruccoli-Bucker,B2.
British critical enthusiasm ncouragedHeller's
American supporters. ustone year after
publication of his novel, Heller wascelebrated
on the jacket of this collectionas"the literary
sensation f the year" and asone of "the most
talentedwriters of our time." Other contributors FirstBritishedition f Catch-22
to the collection ncluded SaulBellow and
Thomas Pynchon.
Lieutenant Milo Minderbinder:
'Frankly, I' dlike to see tbe Government
get o"t of war altogetber and leave tbe whole
field to private ind"stry.'
8/10/2019 Heller Papers
11/24
Catch-22n paperback
JosephHeller, Catch-22.New York: Dell, 1962. Third Dell printing, October
1962, blue pictorial and printed wrappers.
It was n paperback hat Catch-22made ts greatestmpact and washailed as "a
classicof its era." By 1970 the Dell paperback ad sold over3.5 million copies,
with changeso the coverdesign,and more than 10 million copieswere eventually
printed.
3: The Impact of Catch-22
, Catch-22 in Translation
The worldwide impact of modernAmerican iterature,and JosephHeller's
international reputation, s evidenced y the items in this case, elected rom a
much largergroup of translationsdonated n 2001 by Valerie Heller. Shownhere
are ranslationsnto Slovenianand Hungarian.
Translationsof Catch-22nto Danish, Swedish, nd Finnish.
Translationsof Catch-22nto Spanish nd Portuguese.
Translationsof Catch-22nto Czechand Polish.
Worth Pirating: A TaiwaneseReprint of Catch-22
This is one of three suchEnglish-textpiracies n Thomas CooperLibrary's Heller
collection.Thesecopiesareprinted on thinner paper han the legitimateAmerican
edition shown n Case .
4: Stageand Screen
Heller as Screenwriter
JosephHeller and GeorgeMandel, TheBig Squeeze,n Original Screenplay.
Typescript n binder, Scapegoat roductions nc., n.d.
Heller and Mandel, Howe& Hummel.Typescriptbook for musical, n binder,
July 1, 1968.
Following the success f Catch-22,Heller turned his attention o motion pictures
and theatre.The unproducedscreenplay nd musicalshown here,both written
8/10/2019 Heller Papers
12/24
in collaborationwith the novelistGeorgeMandel, seemnot to havebeennoticed
by Heller scholars.Screenplays y Heller, aloneand in collaboration, hat reached
production during this period ncluded Sexand the SingleGirl (Warner Brothers,
1964), CasinoRoyaleColumbia Pictures,1967),and Dirty DingusMagee Metro-
Goldwyn-Mayer, 1970).
A Belgian Release of a Heller Movie
Un Beau Salaud. Poster for Belgian releaseof Dirty Dingus Magee,dubbed in French:
For Dirty DingusMagee 1970), the third of his Hollywood screenplayso be
produced, Heller sharedcredit with Tom and FrankWaldman. Loaned
by Matthew J. Bruccoli.
Heller as Dramatist I: We Bombed n New Haven
JosephHeller, We Bombedn New Haven.Typescript n binder, copyright 1967.
This two-act play was irst producedat Yale n 1967and again on Broadway n
1968, when t alsoappeared sa book publishedby Alfred A. Knopf. The two
typescripts erearedatedas"Revised anuary8, 1968" (red binder) and "RevisedJanuary
6, 1969" (greenbinder). Also shown (open)arespiral-boundadvance
proofs for the Knopf edition and the 1969 SamuelFrenchacting ext.
An Omitted Chapter from Catch-22
JosephHeller, "Love, Dad," Playboy, 6:12 (December1969): 180-182,348.
This episode, ne of tWoadditional chapters rom Catch-22 hat Heller
subsequently ublishedseparately,oncerns he relationshipbetWeen nd Lt.
EdwardJ. Nately III, shortly o be killed on a bombing raid, and his conservative
father. Other contributors o this issueof Playboyncluded Graham Greene,
Eldridge Cleaver,Woody Allen, Leslie Fiedler,and Robert Graves.
Catch-22:The Movie
The movie rights for Catch-22 old quickly, but it was 1970, nine yearsafter book
publication, beforeHeller's novelwas eleased s amotion picture. Although
Heller had written several creenplays,e was not involved with the Paramount
adaptation,which wasdirected by Mike Nichols from a screenplay y Buck Henry.
This black-and-whitepublicity still, one of a group n the JosephHeller archive,
showsMilo Minderbinder Qon Voight) explaining o Colonel Cathcart (Martin
12
8/10/2019 Heller Papers
13/24
Balsam)how their wartime supply operationcan makea profit buying five-cent
eggs or five centsand selling them for two.
Catch-22:The Movie
One-sheet oster,signedby JosephHeller. Loanedby Matthew J. Bruccoli.
Catch-22:The Movie
Six obby cards rom the 1970 Paramountproduction. Loaned by Matthew J.
Bruccoli.
JosephHeller on the Mike Nichols/ParamountMovie
JosephHeUer,untitled talk, n.d., c. 1970. Reproductionwith extensive encil
revISions. -
Heller on filming Catch-22
The Movie of Catch-22 and Book Sales
JosephHeller, Catch-22.New York: Dell, 1970. Pictorial wrappers with dog-tags).
By the time this new Dell edition waspublished, he original Dell paperback ad
already one through 27 printings. After the movie release,he paperback old a
million copies n sixweeks.
~"
'"
really didn't give a
.
j"/sold it to Columbia
..' J_'
Picf\1res and the tlr8t cheOk'
.
FCle3~ed. 1. don't .-."
.._cc-
cC Cc C C
,
c
" c"'
think therea~ethat ~ny ~ ~ie5 ll\ade~~
c c c c
ccc c c
...c c
.' ,for me to have
, C
1
"" '
1
'" h_"
i ; C ,'" b-
J;:e. ..a"",oa",1' ext>eotc-.t,...t .qOO4 p cture YOU"u "'"
",c",
made out ofanyi:)OO t. includinq tch~",~,.~, ~Tt ~uld
c c c 'ccc
at all or if
C"'c c"' Cc~Ar C
ln It;.~fhad to do 1I
8/10/2019 Heller Papers
14/24
Heller as Dramatist II: Catch-22on Stage
JosephHeller, Catch-22, Dramatization.Manuscriptand threestages f
typescriptwith corrections n ink.
The materialshere rom the JosephHeller archiveshow Heller at work in adapting
scenesrom his novelasa one-actplay. The archivealso ncludesa full-length
typescript First Draft" datedJuly 1971.The resultwas first producedat East
Hampton on Long Island in 1971 and again n New York City by Apple Corps
Theatre n 1981.
Heller as Dramatist III: Clevinger's Trial
Joseph Heller, Clevingers Trial (from Catch-22), A Play in OneAct. Basedon Chapter
8 rom his Novel Catch-22. New York: Samuel French, 1973. Printed wrappers.
This stageadapt~tionof a single episode, voiding he structuralproblems
posedby trying to adapt he novelasa whole,premiered n London in 1974.
5: Something Happened
r The First Manuscript Drafts for Something Happened
JosephHeller, manuscriptdraft,c. 1961.
After the critical success f Catch-22,Heller allowed 13 years o elapse efore
publishing his secondnovel, Something appened1974), a dark satire on the
world of Americanbusiness. he pages hownhere,with two versionsof a scene
in which the hero discusses ith his children he valuesof Mammon, are from his
first draft for that novel,and an accompanyingmemo by Heller ndicates hat a
completeddraft had beensent o a typing serviceasearlyas 1961. An excerpt rom
the novelappearedn Esquiren 1966.
The Edited Typescript of SomethingHappened
JosephHeller, Something appened. ypescript,936 pages,with extensive
autograph evisions,1974.
This substantialpile of typescript epresents nly abouthalf of the novel that Heller
eventually ubmitted o his publishers n 1974. Although he describedhis ashis
"Final Typescript," the autograph orrectionsgo far beyond esponding o editorial
queries, nd one of the pages hownherehas clearlybeen etyped.
14
8/10/2019 Heller Papers
15/24
Heller's Own Description of SomethingHappened
Manuscript, ed felt-tip on yellow paper, hree pages.
Heller's secondnovelwas eagerly nticipatedby readers nd reviewers, nd even
though he sizeof this first printing is unknown, it was certainly arge. t was he
success f this secondnovel, not of Catch-22, hat encouragedHeller to give up
college eachingand becomea full-time writer.
JosephHeller at a Booksigning, 1974
Unattributed publicity photograph.
15
8/10/2019 Heller Papers
16/24
SomethingHappened n Paperback
JosephHeller, Something appened. ew York: Ballantine,1975.Third edition
(Americanmass-market aperback),hird printing. Bruccoli-BuckerA 5.3.a.
Heller's success ith this novel s seen n cwo of the blurb-quotes or this
paperback: The most mportant novel of the decade,"and "Heller has not
repeated imself." By 1983, his edition had reached ts 15th printing.
6: Goodas Gold
JosephHeller in New York, 1976
Photographsby Hans Namuth.
Following the success f Something appened1974), Heller finally left his teaching
position at New York University o becomea full-time writer and established
separate ffice on West 57th Street.The unpublishedphotographsshownhereare
from a group commissionedo accompany lden Whitman's interview with him,
"SomethingAlways Happenson the Way to the Office," in the Bruccoli Clark
volume, PagesDetroit: BruccoliClark/Gale Research, 976).
Three Draft Stages or
Goodas Gold
For Heller's third novel,
Goodas Gold (1979), the
JosephHeller archive
providesa revealing
variety of evidenceabout
the author'sworking
methods.Shownhere
are hree draft stages-the
notecardson which (as
for other novels)Heller
tries out individual
sentences;he outline of
a scene o be fleshedout
later; and a manuscript
draft, written in blue,
with a second ayer of
extensiveevisionsadded
From Heller's index-cards for Good as Gold
8/10/2019 Heller Papers
17/24
in red. In theseearliest rafts, he central characters namedWeinberg,not Gold,
and the novelwas irst registered or copyright n 1976 under he title Mothsat a
DarkBulb.
The Timeliness of Goodas Gold
JosephHeller, "Weintraub slipped nto the room." Typescript (carbon),six pages.
In the wake of the Watergatescandal,HeUer urned for his setting from the
worlds of war and businesso the world of politics. The short episode hown here,
conceived uite late in the novel's composition, hough before HeUerhad changed
his hero's name,was ntended o heighten he timelinessof the novel'spolitical
satire.Also shown s HeUer's overingnote to his editors aboutpossiblepublication
of the segmentn the New York Times.
An Advance Copy of Goodas Gold
JosephHeller, Goodas Gold. New York: Simon and Schuster, 979. First edition,
advance opy, in printed wrappers.Bruccoli-BuckerA 6.1.a (adv).
The First (Trade) Edition of Goodas Gold
JosephHeller, Goodas Gold.New York: Simon and Schuster, 979. First edition,
first printing, trade ssue, n jacket. Broccoli-BuckerA 6.1.a. Loaned by Matthew J
Bruccoli.
An Advance Copy of the British Good as Gold
Joseph Heller, Good as Gold. London: Jonathan Cape, 1979. First edition, advance
copy, in printed wrappers, under regular-issue acket. Broccoli-Bucker A 6.1.g (adv).
The First British Printing of Goodas Gold
JosephHeller, Goodas Gold.London: JonathanCape,1979. First edition, first
British printing, in jacket. Bruccoli-BuckerA 6.1.g.
Publicity for the Paperback
Goodas Goldwas irst issued n a mass-market aperbackn January 1980 by
PocketBooks. Shownhereare Wo of the publicity items distributed by Pocket
Books:a brochurewith Mel Brooks nterviewingHeller, and a "gold" medal
commemoratingpublication.
17
8/10/2019 Heller Papers
18/24
God Knows and No Laughing Matter
Heller and Religion
JosephHeller, God Knows.P,reliminarymanuscriptdrafts and corrected ypescript.
Heller's fourth novelwasplannedasa rewriting of the Old Testament, resenting
King David's sardonicperspective n biblical eventsand characters. s the
materialshere ndicate,Heller took the preliminary researchor this novel with
greatseriousness.
Quotes and Quips: Heller's Card-Index for God Knows
Heller used raditional 3 x 5 index cards n writing severalof his novels,but his
cards or GodKnowsare of particular nterest.The initial purposeseemso have
beensimply to sort basic nformation on the Old Testamentcharacters, ut there
are alsocards ecording particularlyvivid or resonant erses rom the Authorized
(or King James) ranslationand cardsnoting the sharpunbiblical quips Heller
imagines or his narrator.
The Onset of an Unexplained llness
Part way through the writing of God Knows,n December1981, Heller experienced
severeweaknessn his limbs and other mysterioussymptoms, oon eading o
Heller on his recovery from Guillain-Barre Syndrome
18
8/10/2019 Heller Papers
19/24
hospitalization. n due time, his illnesswasdiagnosed sGuillain-Barre Syndrome.
For a period of months, he was partially paralyzed nd bed or chair-bound.The
JosephHeller archivecontains ull medical ecordsof this illness, ogetherwith
Heller's own summaries nd accounts f his progress.
The First Edition of God Knows
JosephHeller, GodKnows.New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1984. First edition, trade
printing, in jacket. Broccoli-BuckerA 7.I.b. Loanedby Matthew J. Broccoli.
Drafts for No LaughingMatter
JosephHeller and SpeedVogel, No LaughingMatter. Manuscriptdrafts and
corrected ypescript.
When Heller began o recover, nd wasable o completehis novel-in-progress,
God Knows, e undertooka nonfiction project,an accountof his illnessand
convalescence,ritten in collaborationwith his friend SpeedVogel.
CharacterSketchesn No LaughingMatter
JosephHeller and SpeedVogel,No LaughingMatter. Manuscript draft, undated.
One of the strengthsof Heller's account s his closeobservation f the peoplehe
encountered, oth in the hospital and during his long period of rehabilitation.
The First Edition of No LaughingMatter
JosephHeller and SpeedVogel, No LaughingMatter. New York: G.P. Putnam's
Sons,1986. First edition, first printing, in jacket. Bruccoli-BuckerA 8.I.a. Loaned
by Matthew J. Bruccoli.
The First British Printing of No LaughingMatter
JosephHeller and SpeedVogel, No LaughingMatter. London: JonathanCape,
1986. First edition, first British printing, in jacket. Bruccoli-BuckerA 8.I.d.
8: Picture This
Researchinghe Novel
As he recovered rom his illness,HeUerplannedan ambitious ifth novel, exploring
the interrelationshipsbetweenwidely differing historical eras, rom the Greeks o
the presentday. Its starting point is Rembrandt'spainting Aristotle Contemplating
19
8/10/2019 Heller Papers
20/24
theBust of Homer,and the
demandsof his subject ed
Heller to adoptmore formal
methodsof researchhan he
had employedon previous
books, ncluding employment
of a research ssistant. he
spiral-boundnotebookand
ring-binder,opened o show
Heller's work on Rembrandt,
also nclude extensive otes on
Aristotle and the Greeks.
The First Edition of
Picture This
JosephHeller, Picture This.
New York: G.P. Putnam's,
1988. First edition, first
printing, trade ssue, n jacket.
Bruccoli-BuckerA 9.1.a.
JosephHeller
Photo credit: Valerie Heller
9: Closing Time
JosephHeller on Location
This late signedphotograph
showsan ebullient Heller with
a B-25 like thosehe had flown
in during the war with the
488th Squadron. t was aken
while Heller was on location Researchotesor Picture 1Iis
for a televisionprogram about
Catch-22 or The LearningChannel.
Turning Back o Old Friends
The final novel of Heller's lifetime, ClosingTime,published ust afterhis 70th
birthday in 1993, anticipated he renewalof interest n the war generation.
20
8/10/2019 Heller Papers
21/24
Presented sa sequel o his first novel, Catch-22, nd following someof the same
characters,t is not simply a return to the war itself, but a tracing of the characters'
individual post-war experiences,s heir lives again ntersect.
Mapping the Novel's Setting
Much of ClosingTime s set n the downtown New York Port Authority Bus
Terminal, whereMilo Minderbinder (now a billionaire) plans o hold his son's
wedding. In
Ireparation or
writing, Heller hired
a researcherwhose
report s displayed '
here) o walk about
and observe eople
and events.Heller's
hand-drawnmaps
of each evel n the
PABT building
show he carewith
which he built on
this research.
Characterand
Structure in
C10 , T' The Port Authority Terminal in Closing Time
sIng .l Ime
Sectionsof the novelare old in the first personby variouscharacters,ncluding
this section old by a new character, n ex-infantryman,Lew Rabinowitz,
Yossarianand the "Untided Novel"
During all the draft stages f the novel, HeUermarked t as"untitled," but the
largestsection, old in the third person,was itled "Yossarian."Shownhereare wo
different revisionstages f the Yossarian ection, howinga typical interim title-
page,and a typescriptpassage here HeUerdiscusseshe special mportanceof the
war in which his generation ook part.
8/10/2019 Heller Papers
22/24
The First Edition of ClosingTime
JosephHeller, ClosingTime,A Novel.New York: Simon & Schuster, 994. First
edition, presumed econdprinting, trade ssue, n jacket. Broccoli-BuckerA II.I.b.
ClosingTime asTrade Paperback
JosephHeller, ClosingTime,A Novel. New York: Simon & Schuster 1995]. First
edition, tradepaperback.Bruccoli-BuckerA II.I.f.
10: Now and Then and Portrait ofan Artist
JosephHeller at the University of South Carolina I
In September 996, aspart of the F. ScottFitzgeraldCentenaryCelebration,Mr.
Heller oined JamesDickey and Matthew J. Bruccoli for a discussion f Fitzgerald's
achievement,elevised
live from the Graniteville
Room o schoolsacross
the state hrough
SCETV.
Two Draft
Versions of Heller's
Autobiographical
Memoir
JosephHeller, untitled
and undated manuscript,
ballpoint on legalpads,
variouslypaginated.
Shownwith "Now
and Then," typescript,
February1996, marked
"1st draft," with pencil
corrections.
HeUer with James Dickey, Thomas Cooper Library, 1996
Heller's memoir 100k5 ack on his early ife, his wartime service, nd more briefly
on his career sa writer.
22
8/10/2019 Heller Papers
23/24
Hdler's Autobiography
JosephHeller, Now and Then:From Coneysland o Here.New York: Alfred A.
Knopf, 1998. Advanceuncorrectedproof, creamprinted wrappers.Bruccoli-
BuckerA 12.1.b adv).
JosephHeUer,Now and Then:From Coneysland o Here.New York: Alfred A.
Knopf, 1998. First trade edition, first printing, with photographic acket. Bruccoli-
BuckerA 12.1.b.
The trade printing of Heller's memoirwaspublishedon February10, 1998. It had
beenpreceded n January30 by a limited subscriptionprinting of 2,000 copies
issued or collectorsby the Franklin Press.
JosephHeller at the University of South Carolina II
The osephHellerArchiveat the University /South Carolina. Columbia, S.C.]:
Thomas CooperLibrary, University of South Carolina, 1998. No.2 of 100copies.
Bruccoli-Bucker,B25.
This keepsake as ssued or guestsat a luncheonat the CentUryAssociation,New
York City, on Wednesday, pril 15, 1998, o celebratehe acquisitionof the Joseph
Heller archive.Reproduced n it are Wopages rom Heller's autographmanuscript
for his novel ClosingTime.
Heller's PosthumouslyPublished Portrait ofan Artist
JosephHeller, Portrait ofan Artist, as an Old Man. New York: Simon & Schuster,
2000. Advanceuncorrectedproof, first variant: yellow printed wrappers.Bruccoli-
BuckerA 13.1.a adv).
JosephHeller, Portrait ofan Artist, as an Old Man. New York: Simon & Schuster,
2000. Advanceuncorrected roof, second ariant: creamwrappersprinted in
purple and orange,white back printed in black. Bruccoli-BuckerA 13.1.a adv).
JosephHdler, Portrait ofan Artist, as an OldMan. New York: Simon & Schuster,2000.
First edition, first printing, with jacket. Bruccoli-BuckerA 13.1.a.
This posthumously ublishedshort novel,wryly analyzing he difficulty of beinga
novelistwhen everythinghas alreadybeendone by earlierwriters, ncludes he text
of the talk Heller gave n Columbia in September 996 (see . 5 above).
23
8/10/2019 Heller Papers
24/24
JosephHeller Research t the University of South Carolina I
Matthew J. Broccoli and Park Bucker, osephHeller,A Descriptive ibliography.
Newcastleand Pittsburgh:Oak Knoll Press nd the University of PittsburghPress,
2002. Original cloth, pictorial jacket; dedicatedand inscribed o the memory of
GeorgeD. Terry.
There had beenno full-scalescholarlybibliographyof Heller's booksand other
publishedwritings before his volume by two scholarsat the University of South
Carolina.
JosephHeller Research t the University of South Carolina II
JosephHeller, Catchas CatchCan. The Collected tories nd Other Writings.
Edited by Matthew J. Bruccoli and Park Bucker. New York: Simon & Schuster,
2002. Advanceuncorrected eader'sproofs,original laminatedprinted wrappers.
Gift of Matthew J. Bruccoli.
The first published collection of JosephHeller's short stories, dited at the
University of South Carolina.