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”For the five years previous, I have been in Mexico and the Southwest working on a book set in this place. The desert country has mesmeric fascination for many people and I am one of them.” -McCarthy, in this letter

"To my mind, McCarthy’s descriptive powers make him the best prose stylist working today, and this book the Great American Novel. -William Darymple, on Blood Meridian

EXCEPTIONALLY RARE AND IMPORTANT LETTER BY AMERICAN LITERARY GIANT CORMAC MCCARTHY: ON HIS LITERARY TASTES, THE DISCOVERY OF HIS LOVE FOR THE SOUTHWEST, AND HIS WORK WRITING HIS MASTERPIECE BLOOD MERIDIAN.

This extraordinary five-page handwritten letter spotlights the author’s love of and time spent in Mexico and the American Southwest. It was his multi-year stay in the area that gave him the knowledge and expertise to create what many have called the great American novel: Blood Meridian.

Moving from his native Tennessee in 1974, the author settled in El Paso, Texas to familiarize himself with the region’s culture and geography in preparation for Blood Meridian, his first work to be set in the Southwest. As part of his research, McCarthy followed the historical travels of the nineteenth century “Glanton Gang” — a notorious gang of scalp-hunters who roamed areas of Mexico and the Southwest, and became central to the plot of his book.

In the letter McCarthy mentions living “a sort of nomadic existence” as he journeys across the Southwest working on his novel and that the land has a “mesmeric fascination” for him. McCarthy would convert that fascination into the evocative setting of Blood Meridian as well as the major works that followed.

The letter is also revealing of McCarthy’s literary tastes and influences, as he gives his opinions on thirteen books, but noting that “Finding novels to read is not easy, I agree. I think I read one of every fifty or so that I investigate (on the basis of a review, or advice of a friend).”

McCarthy’s suggestions are varied, yet reflect a deep understanding and familiarity with the literary landscape of the late twentieth century.

His list of recommended literature (in order of appearance in the letter):

The Outermost House (1928) - Henry Beston
Desert Solitaire (1968) - Edward Abbey
Sergeant Getúlio (1971) - João Ubaldo Ribeiro
Desperadoes (1979) - Ron Hansen
Encounter with the Archdruid (1971) - John McPhee
The Pine Barrens (1968) - John McPhee
Coming into the Country (1976) - John McPhee
The Right Stuff (1979) - Tom Wolfe
The White Album (1979) - Joan Didion
Slouching Towards Bethlehem (1968) - Joan Didion
Tatlin (1974) - Guy Davenport
Dispatches (1977) - Michael Herr

McCarthy also mentions Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s classic Hundred Years of Solitude, but notes that he does not share the “seemingly universal love” for it but loves the work of Borges. He also gives opinions on Gore Vidal, Norman Mailer, and Guy Davenport.

Given the date of publication of many of the books he cites, we can date this letter to the late summer/autumn of 1979. The recipient, “Jerry,” is almost certainly his friend Reverend Gerald A. Krum, who led the St. Mark Lutheran Church in Hanover, PA from 1977-1980.

An outstanding letter that provides a glimpse into the life, travels, and literary tastes of one of American’s most influential writers.

The letter reads in full:

Dear Jerry,

Thank you for the letters and my apologies for the late answer. I try to get letters written every few weeks, but sometimes it’s longer. Several years ago, I was in your neck of the woods — I remember York and of course the marvelous Amish Country and the place names like Bird-In-Hand and King of Prussia. It is beautiful country, I agree. We also have another common geographical interest in the Outer Banks. I’ve been there several times and it is a favorite place of mine — especially in the fall, about this time of year — when most of the tourists are gone and you can have miles of beach to yourself. When I first went there years ago there were no bridges between the islands and you waited for the ferry boat and it was very remote: The natives spoke with English accents and I suppose some still do. (— Do you know The Outermost House by Beston?).

I’ve only been in Nashville the past year. For the five years previous, I have been in Mexico and the Southwest working on a book set in this place. The desert country has mesmeric fascination for many people and I am one of them. Have you spent any time in the SW? You mentioned Desert Solitaire — which is a book I am also fond of. I’ll look up Schulze’s book. I have a pretty good sized collection of books on Texas and the Southwest but they are in storage in El Paso. If it’s a favorite subject I’ll recommend some titles. Some of the accounts by early travelers are really exceptional and should be better known.

Finding novels to read is not easy, I agree. I think I read one of every fifty or so that I investigate (on the basis of a review, or advice of a friend).

Some of the South American writers are good, although I don’t share the seemingly universal love for 100 Years of Solitude. I do love Borges, and a recent book by a Brazilian — whose name may be Joao Ubaldo Ribeiro — called Sergeant Getulio was very good. I’ve been living a sort of nomadic existence, so I don’t have books with me and I can’t look at the shelf and see what I’ve read. I do have a novel I’ve just started reading called Desperadoes by Ron Hansen and I think it may be interesting. If Carlos Castaneda’s books are novels they are high on my list anyways. High on my list anyway as a matter of fact. Also enjoy John Mcphee — If you haven’t read Encounter with the Archdruid do so, because I know you will like it. Also The Pine Barrens + The newer one Coming into the Country. Tom Wolfe’s new book is very good (The Right Stuff) and Joan Didion’s The White Album. I haven’t read her novels but I really like her earlier essay, Slouching Towards Bethlehem — and this new book. I don’t know why we have such crackerjack essayists and no fiction writers. A good esaysist like Gore Vidal — for instance — just falls apart the minute he makes an essay at “fiction.” I heard Mailer’s new book is good — he’s another case in point. Do you know Guy Davenport’s stories? Tatlin published by Scribner, and a new book just out — don’t have the title at hand but I think you would find him interesting. Also really liked Michael Herr’s Dispatches and have been reading Flannery’s letter with great enjoyment.

Thank you for the invitation. Would enjoy meeting you and your family if I should get up east again. Right now I’m finding an excuse to move south, or southwest, as the winters here are a bit bracing for my taste. Keep in Touch.

All the best
Cormac

Nashville, TN: 1979. Five 8.5x11 inch sheets of unlined paper, written on one side of each sheet. Stapled in top left corner. Usual mailing folds, a tiny bit of browning at edges. Housed in custom presentation folder.

AUTOGRAPH LETTERS BY CORMAC MCCARTHY ARE FAMOUSLY RARE: THIS IS THE LONGEST AND MOST REVEALING LETTER WE CAN LOCATE THAT HAS BEEN ON THE MARKET.

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