1983-1985. An archive of seven typed letters signed and an author questionnaire from the time of publication of Viertel's novel American Skin. However, the archive begins with a typed letter signed by Irwin Shaw, with whom Viertel had co-written the 1948 play Survivors. Shaw submits a paragraph of praise for Viertel's new book, saying, in part, that he "has written with wisdom, grace and passion about the nature of love and sin." Next, in the 11-page author questionnaire, Viertel gives terse answers about his hobbies, and the origin and theme of the novel, etc., but he does supply a list of about a dozen names of people (Isherwood, Vidal, Styron, Dunne, Kanin, Kajan, Welles, etc.) who might respond positively to being sent galleys. (Shaw is not on his list.) Viertel's first letter here takes polite issue with the dust jacket art. The second letter is still discussing the jacket art, and whether or not it's too late to change the title. The third letter hopes for a delay of publication, to 1984, and sends a re-writing of a small paragraph. By the fourth letter, Viertel is discussing the revamped dust jacket, his author photo, and his continuing work on "Paper Parachute," a title he does not ever seem to have ended up using. By the fifth letter, copies of the book have arrived: he hates the photo, and the jacket calls his most famous book "Black Heart, White Hunter" rather than White Hunter, Black Heart, but he is otherwise happy (and he has abandoned work on Parachute for another novel. The sixth letter asks for more copies of Skin and any reports of reviews, but chiefly Viertel expresses concern about the failing health of Irwin Shaw (who would pass away the following month). The final letter finds Viertel at work on a book of reminiscences, entitled "Not Like Now," (again, a title he never used). "In a week or so I'll go back to Spain and my complex life which follows me everywhere." There is also one retained copy of a letter from Nan Talese and a press release. Viertel is perhaps more famous as a screenwriter than a novelist: he wrote the film scripts for Hemingway's novels The Sun Also Rises and The Old Man and the Sea, among his other works. The lot is fine. [#036741] $1,500