Outstanding and entertaining TLS signed “Arlo Guthrie,” one page, 10.25 x 8, no date. Letter of introduction, written from Arlo’s perspective, addressed at the top by Woody, “Natanya Newman,” Guthrie’s 19-year-old babysitter, and the rest of the Newman family. In part (with grammar and spelling retained): “Well, I done it. I jumped out of Marjorie’s tummy down here at the Brooklyn Jewish Hospital…on the am of the tenth of Julio Nineteen Forty Seven…Weighed seven pounds and lost three ounces down there boxfighting with them baby basket kids and with them folks that always come to visit you after your stummick gets littler…I am calling myself Arlo, Arlo Guthrie, painless painless Arlo Guthrie. I am so painless that my ma already wants to start in all over again and track back to that same old spot and place where she found me at and try to find her another one or two just like me…Anyhow, I was a breach baby. I come out feet first. But you know how jam packed crowded and drove down these hospitals are these days, they’ve just not got enough room down there for you to jump out head first like you really want to…I want you to get painless. I want you to get painless and stay painless and stay out from that dern damnable old sickbed beds ain’t no good less you go down on one on to find a baby outside of this stay away from them old beds.” Several small pencil doodles have been added to the top of the page as well. Letter appears to be mounted and is matted and framed to an overall size of 21 x 18. Intersecting folds, one through a single letter of signature, show-through from adhesive on reverse, and several red pencil lines to text, otherwise fine condition. RR Auction COA.
