When I first started working in the book publishing industry I was star struck and awed by all of the amazing authors I would see in the office or at signings. I had this grand idea that I would start a collection of signed books that could be passed down through my family for generations. As the years went by, my interest in building this big book collection waned. Don’t get me wrong. I still have a huge collection of books. And I certainly treasure the ones that are signed to me by my clients or authors that I worked with when I was an editor. But I’m no longer interested in building a collection for the collection’s sake.
Still there’s a few books in the mini-collection I started that stand out for me:
The first was a book written by an actor I’d watched in a short-run TV series in the 80s. It’s the first signing/reading I ever went to. I was in NYC for my Putnam Berkley internship and I saw that this actor would be signing his book at the local Barnes & Noble. It was one of my first big-city excursions. Now I look at that book and totally crack up.
Another is a first edition hardcover with a note to me from the author. I was the assistant to his editor at the time and he remains one of my all-time favorite writers.
Then there’s the book that was a gift from my mother. When she knew I was eager to build this collection she bought a signed copy of this book by an author I’d grown up reading from a NYC bookstore.
And finally there’s the only signed book I actually purchased from a book dealer. All of the other books in my collection had been gifts or I’d had signed in person. This book — by one of my favorites — felt more like an “investment” in my collection.
Can you guess the titles and authors of these four books?
Still there’s a few books in the mini-collection I started that stand out for me:
The first was a book written by an actor I’d watched in a short-run TV series in the 80s. It’s the first signing/reading I ever went to. I was in NYC for my Putnam Berkley internship and I saw that this actor would be signing his book at the local Barnes & Noble. It was one of my first big-city excursions. Now I look at that book and totally crack up.
Another is a first edition hardcover with a note to me from the author. I was the assistant to his editor at the time and he remains one of my all-time favorite writers.
Then there’s the book that was a gift from my mother. When she knew I was eager to build this collection she bought a signed copy of this book by an author I’d grown up reading from a NYC bookstore.
And finally there’s the only signed book I actually purchased from a book dealer. All of the other books in my collection had been gifts or I’d had signed in person. This book — by one of my favorites — felt more like an “investment” in my collection.
Can you guess the titles and authors of these four books?
Okay, these have gotten very tricky. Here are my clues: #1 Don't monkey around with this guy; #2 Hanging chads; #3 Lots of song titles come to mind; #4 Horatio's farewell
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