After Jonathan Miller died aged 85, people are sharing his wonderfully furious letter to Private Eye
People have been paying tribute to the great Sir Jonathan Miller who died aged 85 today.
As well as being a director, author, photographer, broadcaster, sculptor and qualified doctor, he was one of the members of Beyond The Fringe, the groundbreaking revue in which he appeared alongside Peter Cook, Dudley Moore and Alan Bennett.
He was also a very early contributor to Private Eye, until they fell out over the magazine putting his name to a piece in September 1962.
@PrivateEyeNews shared the letter on Twitter today.
So, farewell then, Jonathan Miller – a very early contributor to Private Eye, until they fell out over the magazine putting his byline on a piece in September 1962. This was the letter he sent in response. pic.twitter.com/oT78FCuEg6
— Private Eye Magazine (@PrivateEyeNews) November 27, 2019
During his later career as a noted pseud, Dr Jonathan got even crosser to find himself appearing as the butt of, rather than author of, jokes in the Eye.
— Private Eye Magazine (@PrivateEyeNews) November 27, 2019
Not bad hand writing for a doctor.
— Rick Light 🏴 🇪🇺 🇮🇹 (@CoercinABull) November 27, 2019
All letters should start this way.
— Goya (@GDorrian) November 27, 2019
And just in case that’s tricky to read.
Here’s what @LettersofNote said about it.
‘RIP Jonathan Miller. The original copy of this letter used to hang proudly (maybe still does) on the wall at the offices of Private Eye, who in 1962 appended “By Dr J Miller” to a satirical piece he’d written that was meant to be anonymous.’
RIP Jonathan Miller