Sale 2530 - Fine Books & Manuscripts, February 20, 2020

TO HIS PSYCHIATRIST: “LABELS AREN’T WHAT COUNTS; IT’S THE QUALITY OF THE DOCTOR” 136 c   DICK, PHILIP K. Small archive of 5 items Signed, to his psychiatrist Dr. Harry Bryan: 3 Typed Letters * Greeting card * Dust jacket for Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said . The letters, seeking the address to send payment for his psychiatric therapy bill, discussing money and relationship troubles and announcing that he is to become a father, sending payment [not present], discussing his mental illness, sending the dust jacket of his new novel [present], and the last with a two-line holograph postscript: “Tessa is also including a recent photo of the baby. He looks like W.C. Fields.” Together 2½ pages, 4to, written on rectos of 3 sheets; the first with recipient’s highlighting and notes and receipt ink stamp, horizontal folds. The card, with Autograph Note: “Dr. Bryan, you did more for me in 3 days than any other doctor in years. Thank you— & thank you for having faith in me—that was a big part of it,” written vertically on second page. Signed on third page and additionally signed by his wife: “Tessa B. Dick / & / Christopher.” 3½x7 inches, folded sheet. The dust jacket, additionally inscribed, “To Dr / Harry Bryan / in / appreciation.” Inscription to left and below portrait. 8½x20 inches; vertical folds. [Fullerton, CA, 1973] [3,500/5,000] 4 July: “. . . My check for the $100 that I owe you will be delayed a little longer, because emergency surgery on my lower jaw suddenly ate up all we had on hand . . . (no pun intended) . . . . I’ve failed to pay you because I’ve been desperately broke, due to my depression which prevented me from doing any writing of novels or stories—the girl Francie to whom I was engaged . . . abruptly moved out, leaving me with little or no reason for either writing or living. I abandoned my home in San Rafael and all my possessions and went to Canada; . . . there I tried suicide, after finding that I had no friends at all and was living in a foreign country, more alienated than ever before. But then, . . . I was invited to fly down here to Fullerton, which is near Disneyland, and did so, and met a dear girl who is now my wife. We are expecting a baby soon, and are very happy. Tessa . . . has healed for me many of the scars of the past. And, which is very good, I am writing again . . . . “I am off drugs of all kinds, and glad of it. I miss, though, many of my heavy doper friends—those who lived through their dope trips and those who did not—and have written them into my novel . . . .” 10 December: “. . . Currently I am seeing a psychiatrist who diagnosed me as manic depressive. Dr. Sam Anderson, whom I used to see in San Rafael, diagnosed schizophrenic reaction. Two other psychiatrists diagnosed paranoia. Another accused me of malingering. I’ve decided that labels aren’t what counts; it’s the quality of the doctor. . . .” with — Three copies of Dr. Bryan’s report of the physical examination and psychiatric history of Dick for Stanford University Hospital. 9 pages, 4to. Stanford, 3 May 1973 * Color photograph of Dick’s son, Christopher Kenneth Dick. 3½x3½ inches. [1973] * Payment envelope for fees due to Dr. Bryan. 3½x6 inches. With the original mailing envelope addressed to Dick in San Rafael. 1 June 1972 * Retained draft of a typed letter from Dr. Bryan to Dick, congratulating him on the baby. ¼ page, 4to. Np, 14 December 1973 * Copy of a letter from Lawrence Sutin requesting information about Dick for his biography on him. 1 page, 4to. Minneapolis, 12 January 1986.