ALS signed “Janis,” nine pages, 5.75 x 8, October 10, [1965]. Joplin writes to her boyfriend, Peter de Blanc. In part: “I’ve been busy. In fact, right now, I’m completely exhausted, really damn tired. I had a bitch of an afternoon. Philip & Diane & I didn’t get up to Beaumont last night to make the tape (I’ll deal with that part of the story later) so I went up this afternoon to do it. I’ve been up there about 9 fucking hours doing the damn thing & we only got 3 songs! And what a drag! Neil didn’t really know how to record on his recorder & it was really a hassle. Singing & singing & being nervous, Jesus Christ. I got all weak & shakey for a while, but we finally stopped to eat. Then I felt better but the tape recorder was broken, so I just quit. Damn. I’m tired! Well anyway, the tape = two blues, ‘Come Back, Baby’ & ‘Once I Lived the Life of a Millionaire’ and one really pretty ballad, ‘Once I Had a Sweetheart.’ I hope it’s alright & I hope I don’t scare people…. Now I want to tell you about last night…. I picked up Philip & Diane…. We wanted to do something because we were all practically punchy from staying at home. So we decided to go to a bar & have a few beers. (I don’t think know whether you’ve ever done that kind of socializing. Sitting in a real bar bar w/ hillbilly or hard rock & roll playing, talking & smoking cigarettes. It’s really kind of nice). So anyway we decided to go to this bar that had a pool table because we all like to play pool…. So we went to the Top Hat, sat down, had a round of Lone Star beer & watched the pool table.… At one time I used to be awfully good…. I beat everybody in the house! Too much! I beat all of the local champions & two dykes. I really couldn’t believe it. I just played great! And people kept buying me beer & I kept drinking it.... Wow, now I hope you aren’t mad at me—I didn’t do anything wrong, except get a little smashed and I didn’t stop thinking about you. I guess someone who is engaged doesn’t want to think that his fiancee is going out & playing pool in Texas pubs, so maybe you have a right to get mad, but dig we didn’t really mean to become pool sharks, we were just quietly having a few beers…. So, hell, be mad at me—& I apologize, I guess it really wasn’t behavior fitting the demure woman that I am, but hell, I can’t help it if I’m another Willie Mosconi.” In a postscript on reverse of page 8, Janis writes: “In one of your letters, you asked about the flowers. Well, I told you about them in the letter…. (Don't you read my damn letters?!). They're purple straw flowers.” Amazingly, the mailing envelope contains the remains and stems of Joplin’s “purple straw flowers.” Accompanied by the original mailing envelope noted above, addressed in Joplin’s hand and postmarked Port Arthur, Texas, October 12, 1965. Mild staining to portions of first page, otherwise very fine condition. One of the finest Joplin letters yet to surface! Auction LOA Roger Epperson/REAL and R&R COA.
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