HMML champions the writer, artist, and Big Sur resident Henry Miller. The Library serves as a social, arts and cultural center for the Big Sur community, and functions as a gallery and performance space for artists, writers, musicians and students. HMML supports education in the arts and environment, advocating for the preservation of Big Sur for current and future generations.
What comes to mind when you think of “Henry Miller”? Is it the man responsible for "free speech that we now take for granted in literature" or pornographer? Prophet of a commercialized American hellscape or just an old crank? "The greatest American writer" (quote from Bob Dylan) or a man pulling the wool over the eyes of the 20th century literary class? On October 16-19, 2025, the Henry Miller Library and Nexus, the international Henry Miller journal, will address these questions when they host “Henry Miller in the 21st Century” at the Asilomar Conference Center. Reflecting Miller's everyman ethos, the conference will involve casual fans and thoughtful individuals interested in the themes — artistic expression, sex, suspicion of authority — that undergird his body of work. The weekend includes an excursion to the Library and the world premiere of “Henry Miller in Paris,” a film by Emmy-award-winning director Rob Kolodny.
Since the publication of Tropic of Cancer 90 years ago, the writings and legacy of Henry Miller have been a part of our culture with his major works still in print. Older readers, who remember a time when Miller was still producing new works, and active scholars of today, have helped to keep his legacy alive. Young and future readers may come by Miller’s work serendipitously, by the recommendation of a friend, or a reference in some publication. Together, this Miller community is passionate and widespread, including an international presence due to foreign translations of his books. The “Henry Miller in the 21st Century” is an opportunity to bring together an international gathering of individuals, to exchange ideas and increase their awareness of the reasons why Miller’s work continues to resonate and influence thousands of individuals.
- Roger Jackson
