Dear Diary

Perhaps when you, like us, think about encyclopedias, you think of a dull set of books with unsatisfying entries that you used in middle school to make quick work of that “research” paper. In this episode, we realize that this doesn’t have to be the case; perhaps we were just looking at the wrong encyclopedias.Join us as we explore the fascinating, subversive, and radically ambitious Enlightenment Encyclopedia by Diderot and d’Alembert. In many ways, it was more modern (with early hyperlinks!) than the encyclopedias we grew up with in the late 20th century. Along the way we get into a heated argument over what’s more exciting to collect, the initial idea of something or the fully realized product of that idea. As usual, we would love to know your thoughts… Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected] the show!

Bonhams Auctions dedicated a sale this week to a "curated selection" of items owned by the great Diane Keaton and one item in particular caught the eyes of Jeremy and Michael. Her own copy of the Annie Hall script? Pretty cool, we thought. But how much is it worth? We had our own guesses, but (at least) two bidders had very different ideas. All of which led to the big question: What do prices really mean in our wonderful world of rare books and manuscripts? We'd love to hear your thoughts! As always, please direct any questions or comments to [email protected] the show!

Jeremy discovers great letters at auction by David Hockney, Jasper Johns, Francis Bacon, and Henry Moore, but ends up learning more about the recipient of all the letters, Vera Russell, than about the writers of the letters. So many great artists wrote to her with profound admiration and respect. What does that say about her? Who was this Vera Russell, who seemed to be at the nexus of the 20th-century art world? And now that the collection has been dispersed, what have we lost? Can we put Humpty Dumpty back together again?As usual, please feel free to reach out to us at: [email protected] the show!

Ah, the hi-jinks of Gregory Corso! This New York Tale has everything: stealing from friends, mob bosses, broken record collections, Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs (sort of), and what must have been the great charm of the Beat poet Gregory Corso. All of this leads to some (semi-) profound questions on authenticity in the book world.If you have a Corso tale, we'd love to hear it! Drop us a note at: [email protected] the show!

Condition is one of the most confusing topics in the rare book world and we're here to help you solve.... nothing, actually. But we do explore the thorny issues involved in evaluating condition and hopefully offer a framework that may be a useful guide as you contemplate the next addition to your library. We'd love to know your thoughts! How do you evaluate condition? Please reach out to us on Instagram or email us at [email protected] Enjoy the show!

All hail the questers! In this episode we celebrate those humble individuals who had the curiosity and courage to write to famous people with intriguing questions... often leading to intriguing answers. We also explore a curious photobook on innovative packaging, and admire a man who bought his freedom with a cure for poison. Questions or comments? As usual, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at: [email protected] the show!

George Washington sticking to his morals and Winston Churchill in love! Jeremy and Michael discuss two important letters currently on the market and use them as a springboard to explore some urgent issues in the world of rare books. As always, please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or comments. You can email us at: [email protected], most importantly, enjoy the show!

"My Diary - Please respect it": So wrote the photographer Margaret Bourke-White at the beginning of her hand-written diary. And respect it we do! We cover a lot of ground in this episode exploring diaries, notes, and documents written without an eye to a future audience. Through the diary of a Revolutionary War soldier to the journals of an Apple Executive, we explore the strange accidental nature of these witnesses to history. And of course we have to discuss the diaries of Samuel Pepys - but more for their strong influence on Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, and modernism. Special guest: Rick Stattler, of Swann Galleries. As always, feel free to reach out to us with any questions or comments at: [email protected] the show! 

Join us as we talk with special guest Adam Douglas of Peter Harrington Rare Books about collecting Shakespeare and specifically about that Holy Grail of collecting, the 1623 Shakespeare First Folio. It is a rare event when one becomes available and Peter Harrington is currently offering a copy. We pick Adam's brain about the specifics of their copy, the history of the creation of the Folio, why Shakespeare and his fellow actors didn't want to publish their texts, why copies are so rare, why each copy is different, and so much more... Enjoy the episode! And, as always, please don't hesitate to send questions or comments our way at: [email protected]

In 1940, the year of Fitzgerald’s death, there were only 7 copies of The Great Gatsby sold. Fitzgerald complained to both Zelda and Max Perkins that he was a forgotten man and that clearly there was no demand for his book. He was crushed, and died thinking Gatsby was a failure. Then, a year later 155,000 copies were printed…. What happened? We dive in into the strange afterlife of The Great Gatsby, trace Fitzgerald’s feelings about his masterpiece through inscribed copies, and compare it to the fates of other books – Their Eyes Were Watching God and The Fortnight in September – published around the same time. Is a classic destined to be a classic or does it need a healthy dose of luck? As always, email us and let us know what you think at [email protected] the episode!