Rosenthal remained in Morocco for at least a year, during which time he pored over the manuscript for the novel and maintained steady correspondence with American editor, poet, and filmmaker Ira Cohen. At first under Cohen's direction, parts of the novel began to be published in small magazines in the United States and abroad. The entire novel was published by Grove Press in 1967. From Morocco, Rosenthal went to Athens before returning to New York in 1964. His activities thereafter are unknown, but it is known that he traveled extensively throughout the sixties.
Biographical information is derived from the collection.
The collection spans the dates 1963-1967. The letters, most of which were written from Morocco, provide valuable insight into the influences which shaped Rosenthal's Sheeper . Rosenthal wrote Sheeper to tell the world how his friend Mohammed ben Abdullah Yussufi, whom he dearly loved, was killed by the Moroccan police. Rosenthal's relationship with Mohammed, Rosenthal's own experiences of being falsely arrested and imprisoned by the Moroccan police, Moroccan customs and culture, and other aspects of Rosenthal's personal life are discussed as well. Manuscripts of Sheeper are contained in Folders 3 and 4.