Shel Silverstein: Man of Many Talents

Shel Silverstein: Man of Many Talents

By Grace Alvarez | August 5, 2023 | Comments Off on Shel Silverstein: Man of Many Talents

Born in Chicago, Illinois in the fall of 1930, Shel Silverstein is remembered as one of the most prominent voices in children’s literature and poetry in the 20th century. His career, however, spanned multiple genres, including cartoons, plays, and music. He was the recipient of two Grammy awards and was among the nominees for the…

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F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tales of the Jazz Age.

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tales of the Jazz Age.

By Drew Mercantini | March 18, 2023 | Comments Off on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tales of the Jazz Age.

Born in the fall of 1896, F. Scott Fitzgerald, is widely regarded as the greatest novelist of the Roaring Twenties. Fitzgerald’s struggles in love, work, and fame became the fundamental motifs and themes of his novels. Despite the losses he suffered, the success of his novels in the years following his early death immortalized his…

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Collecting J.R.R. Tolkien’s Masterpiece The Hobbit.

Collecting J.R.R. Tolkien’s Masterpiece The Hobbit.

By Susan Christiansen | May 24, 2022 | Comments Off on Collecting J.R.R. Tolkien’s Masterpiece The Hobbit.

One of the most enduring stories of the modern era, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit remains one of the most popular stories in the English language and its publication in 1937 sparked a creative explosion in the genre of speculative fiction, paving the way for its sequel The Lord of the Rings and numerous adaptations for…

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To Kill a Mockingbird First Edition Issue Points

To Kill a Mockingbird First Edition Issue Points

By Adrienne Raptis | November 21, 2017 | Comments Off on To Kill a Mockingbird First Edition Issue Points

As most people know, the novel To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the best-loved classics of all time. It has been translated into more than forty languages and has sold more than forty million copies worldwide. In 1962 it was also made into the film starring Gregory Peck, which won three Academy Awards. Therefore,…

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The Works and Philosophy of Ayn Rand

The Works and Philosophy of Ayn Rand

By Therese Hair | November 10, 2017 | Comments Off on The Works and Philosophy of Ayn Rand

[fusion_text]Ayn Rand wrote in her most famous work, Atlas Shrugged, “My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.” This quote aptly defines Rand’s philosophy which she…

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Blade Runner and the Transcendent Legacy of Philip K. Dick

Blade Runner and the Transcendent Legacy of Philip K. Dick

By Adrienne Raptis | October 24, 2017 | Comments Off on Blade Runner and the Transcendent Legacy of Philip K. Dick

The new movie Blade Runner 2049 is in theaters this week and we thought it would be a great time to write a post about the book that this movie and the original 1982 Blade Runner movie have been loosely based on, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and its author, Philip K. Dick. The…

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George Orwell: Journalist and Satirist

George Orwell: Journalist and Satirist

By Therese Hair | August 26, 2017 | Comments Off on George Orwell: Journalist and Satirist

[fusion_text] Born Eric Arthur Blair, George Orwell colored the twentieth century with essays, articles, and novels that explore issues of social justice and political awareness. His work turned the thoughts of the public to the lower-class citizen, the plight of the poor and oppressed, and the dangers of a totalitarian system. For decades readers have…

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Vellum Bindings

Vellum Bindings

By Adrienne Raptis | January 18, 2016 | Comments Off on Vellum Bindings

Vellum refers to parchment made from calf skin that can be found on old and rare books. Very old Bibles were printed on it, and so was the Declaration of Independence. Vellum is not like calf leather in that it is not tanned, but it does vary in softness and smoothness based on the quality of…

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First Edition Identification

First Edition Identification

By Adrienne Raptis | August 9, 2015 | Comments Off on First Edition Identification

Although it seems like it should be fairly straight forward, there is so much to know about first identification that whole books and websites are devoted to the subject. Here we will give you some basic tools to help you identify your first edition, but if would like more in-depth information, we recommend Collected Books…

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Mark Twain and the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn First Edition Issue Points

Mark Twain and the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn First Edition Issue Points

By Adrienne Raptis | March 24, 2014 | Comments Off on Mark Twain and the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn First Edition Issue Points

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by his nom de plume Mark Twain, was one of the most critically acclaimed and popular writers of our time. His vast body of work spans multiple genres. Twain was able to accurately reflect the sensitive social issues of his day in a way that intimately touched his readers and…

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