Recto is a sketch of a penis, testicles, and pubic hair in profile with a rudimentary drawing of a face with a surprised expression.

Verso is a note in Naipaul's handwriting: "The Argentine a place where we talk all the time, but don't do—"

No author or newspaper listed.

Handwritten note reads "VSN 12 Nov 86".

Naipaul's handwritten note on the verso reads "A young man, sah".

"Could you telephone Margaret Murray (73-5012) and tell her discreetly about my arrival time? It would be nice if she could meet me at the airport. If she can't make it, then I hope that you may be free. I don't have Margaret's home number with me; the number I have given is the number of her mother's house, where she is on weekday mornings..."

"I have just arrived here, in this hateful northern Venezuelan hotel, which charges as much as the [Nozuro?] and is awful: how ugly everybody seems here. How everything seems ugly after that magical moment this morning - for which I had longed and for which I was badly prepared. Send me some great love..."

"At times like this - I have had one of my blank mornings, and they occur about 3 or 4 times a week - I hate writing and feel I am in the wrong profession. You of course will agree..."

"You have your children and perhaps you will not understand how excited and irritated and depressed, but more depressed than excited, I am at the loss of mine. I think there would have been something rather marvellous there: it was too perfect and beautiful. I doubt whether it will occur again..."

"Three days ago I wrote you a longish letter. I enclosed an American Express $50 traveller's cheque, made out in your name; this was to cover your little murder. I also enclosed a clipping from the New York review of my article on Jean Rhys, which I wanted you to read..."

"Heaven knows when this will get to you. Argentina is pretty far away; and goodness, so is New Zealand. It was a nightmare journey out. And then, when we were just four hours away, one of the engines of our aeroplane failed and we had to dump fuel and return to Tahiti; and there we waited for something like 21 hours..."