Back when I was a bookseller I knew an old couple -- I'll call them John and Jane Doe -- who were collectors. John and Jane were genuine "Cave Dwellers," members of Washington's old white aristocracy: Cosmos Club, patrons of the arts, friends in high places and all that. Also they were very nice, friendly and interesting people. Their home is the only place I ever saw a "Franklin Imprint" -- a book made at Ben Franklin's print shop -- that I could pick up and leaf through.
One day, probably at a book fair, a friend and I were chatting with John and Jane. Jane mentioned a disturbing dream she'd had: she had died, and was lying on her bed, surrounded by friends and family. "They were all talking to one another," she said sadly, "but I couldn't hear what they were saying." After an awkward pause, my friend said, "They were arguing over who gets your books."
1 comment:
John Locke was a perceptive man. He knew some stuff. Also, Edward Gorey (AKA Eduard Blutig) was as humorous as he was dark. It took me a minute to get that picture, but that's some funny stuff right there. Gorey's entire career was made by a bookstore - how about that?
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