▁The ▁years ▁ 1 9 3 2 ▁and ▁’ 3 , ▁living ▁outside ▁Paris ▁in ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁C lich y , ▁where ▁I ▁wrote ▁the ▁book , ▁I ▁guess ▁were ▁the ▁very ▁best ▁years ▁of ▁my ▁whole ▁life . ▁In ▁The ▁Books ▁in ▁My ▁Life , ▁after ▁qu oting ▁the ▁ep ig raph ▁to ▁Black ▁Spring ▁taken ▁from ▁Miguel ▁de ▁Un am uno , ▁which ▁reads Can ▁I ▁be ▁as ▁I ▁believe ▁myself ▁or ▁as ▁others ▁believe ▁me ▁to ▁be ? ▁Here ▁is ▁where ▁these ▁lines ▁become ▁conf ession ▁in ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁my ▁unknown ▁and ▁un know able ▁me , ▁unknown ▁and ▁un know able ▁for ▁myself . ▁Here ▁is ▁where ▁I ▁create ▁the ▁legend ▁where in ▁I ▁must ▁b ury ▁myself , M iller ▁goes ▁on ▁to ▁write , ▁“ Th ese ▁lines ▁appear ▁in ▁the ▁fly - leaf ▁to ▁Black ▁Spring , ▁a ▁book ▁which ▁came ▁near er ▁to ▁being ▁myself , ▁I ▁believe , ▁than ▁any ▁book ▁I ▁have ▁written ▁before ▁or ▁since .” ▁ ▁The ▁book ▁Henry ▁Miller ▁on ▁Writing ▁includes ▁a ▁hand written ▁list ▁of ▁“ command ments ” ▁( l abeled ▁“ Work ▁Sch edule , ▁ 1 9 3 2 - 3 3 ” ) ▁which ▁hung ▁above ▁Miller ’ s ▁des k ▁with ▁the ▁second ▁command ment ▁being ▁“ Start ▁no ▁more ▁new ▁books , ▁add ▁no ▁more ▁new ▁material ▁to ▁‘ Black ▁Spring .’ ” ▁ ▁Ep ig raph s ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁notable ▁aspects ▁of ▁the ▁book ▁is ▁that ▁each