Asamara (Morning Erection)

Henry Miller

Henry Miller wrote to his friend, artist, poet, and publisher Irving Stettner in 1979: "Dear Irv - Enclosing a piece called 'Asamara' (or morning erection' in Japanese). Should be at the top of the page. And maybe footnote at bottom explaining that it is real Japanese word for 'morning erection.' I wrote it to go with a W.C. I did (a rare one of a guy with and erection - but a modest one)".

Irving Stettner was the editor of Stroker, an avant-garde Poem-Prose-Art review which appeared first in 1974: it has the distinction of being the only magazine in America which Henry Miller contributed to the last two-and-half years of his life.

"Asamara" was printed during the mid-1970s by Japanese art publisher Sadajiro Kubo who produced 23 of Miller's watercolors as offset, plate lithographs.

According to internet souces: All of the Henry Miller prints fall into one of three catagories: Original prints, Kubo collection or Centennial collection, There is some confusion on the Centennial collection as they were done after Henry Miller died. Before Miller died he signed and numbered every sheet of Arches paper used for the Centennial Collection. In the mid 1990s Henry"s son Tony and Coast Publishing produced nine serigraphs and sixteen giclees prints called the Centennial Collection. These prints on Arches paper are the last to bear the original signature of Henry Miller.