The Henry Miller Library

M.L. Fischer

Published in Sentinel and Coast Weekly

A tourist buying snacks at Big Sur's Glen Oaks store asked, "Is this Big Sur?" The logical answer was given: "Big Sur isn't a place, it's a state of mind." That answer was slightly more than metaphorical and slightly less than hyperbole.

Big Sur, being more than just a magnificent expanse of coastal geography, has a vital, living quality to it. Those who know and love it will tend to personify it. And if Big Sur can be personified, Henry Miller would necessarily be it's voice.

In this land of artists and writers, miller was a shining example of both. His was the free spirit in a free and spirited land. So, if Big Sur has a heart, it must be the small piece of property dedicated to his memory: the Henry Miller Memorial Library.

A Miller fan since reading Tropic of Cancer in the 1960s, I had to stop at the rustic sign that day in the early 80s. For part of an afternoon I had the rare opportunity to hear stories about Miller from one of his closest friends, Emil White, whose modest home doubled as the library. Sitting on the porch, under the shade of redwoods, I felt the presence of one of my literary idols, the man who turned me toward writing.

Emil White is gone, and the library, an entity calved off from the Big Sur Land Trust, is under the able directorship of Magnus Torén. He's made sure the library has not only flourished but has held to Miller's creative vision.

Our literary greats are most often rebels and iconoclasts. They are generally not on city councils or the chamber of commerce, yet the home communities that often ignored or disparaged them during their lives, tend to build static, lavish memorials to them posthumously. Generally, the author's written words belie their memorials.

The Miller Library is an exception. The feeling that it's a creative work in progress hits you upon entering the gate. The lawn is strewn with large and imaginative sculptures. The piece titled "Y2K" is my favorite, in it's parody of the computer age. The guest book encourages the visitor to draw or pen a poem. A computer in the library provides internet access, with a note to please drop a donation in the adjacent box. The main room of the library features Henry Miller's work along side works by local and experimental writers, many of whom you are not likely to find in your neighborhood Borders or Barnes and Noble. Miller videos, always seem to be playing in a side room, and you can browse or wander the grounds without paying an admission or taking some tour. The work of local artists carpet the walls.

Perhaps the most fitting memorial to Miller is the calendar of events. Much of the creative works presented at these events were written or composed after Miller's death, but any of his fans will quickly realize that Henry would have been delighted to be in the audience.

There are open poetry readings as well as musical, drama, and poetry performances, drawing not only from local talent, but from the world at large.

The West Coast Championship Poetry Slam, the Big Sur Experimental Music Festival and the Big Sur JazzFest are annual events scheduled in Spring and Summer.

There is also the Big Sur Children's Writer's Conference, December 7-9, a workshop designed for published writers of children's fiction and non-fiction.

Each year the Library awards the Eric Barker Poetry Prize of $300 to a creative writing student at Monterey Peninsula College.

Each winter the Library hosts a six week art exhibit, giving over fifty local artists an opportunity to show their work. Plus there is the ongoing sculpture display in the garden.

Lectures, tours and book signings occur at random intervals during the year, and the library is always available when a local group needs a place to meet and share ideas. Occasionally, an artist or performer just shows up, prompting a spontaneous show.

Even when there is no event taking place, I enjoy stopping by, chatting with the staff and other visitors, having a cup of coffee, sitting in the shade of a redwood, and perhaps discovering a "must have" book. Sometimes, lost in a daydream, I think I hear Henry, loudly discussing a work of literature.

The Miller Library is a great place to take in major weekend events, as well as a place to drop by during a lazy cruise down the coast. Stop by with an open heart and a bit of curiosity, and you'll likely come away with a touch of creative inspiration.