  Publisher’s Notes:
It took us until the twenty-first century to join the twentieth century but
we are here now so why quibble over mere decades. We used to issue lists and catalogues of first editions and new publications but the last one was in 1992. It was such tedious work that it is a wonder that it got done.
A brief history of the Lord John Press goes this way: I began reading
seriously while in the U.S. Navy in the early 50s, graduated to collecting
first editions in the 60s which lead to corresponding with and meeting the
authors I was interested in. Ever the intemperate I was collecting 60
authors until Andreas Brown of Gotham Book Mart cautioned me that it would
soon get out of hand. It did and I calmed down. I developed a fondness for
signed books and began buying limited editions from John Martin of Black
Sparrow Press. John was one of the brightest people in the book business, a
great collector, now retired, and an astute observer of how things work and how to make
things happen. In other words, a literary pathfinder and an honest judge of
talent. Let's press on.
In the 70s I began buying books from a man named Frank Hallman of Aloe
Editions out of New York. I had a standing order of five copies of each
publication, nifty little books in wrappers (soft covers), each one numbered
and signed by the author. I think it was l975 or 76 they stopped coming. I heard from Robert Wilson of Phoenix Bookshop that Frank had died. I waited for quite a while for someone to pick up the gauntlet and follow in Hallman's footsteps. No one did. So I did. The first Lord John publication was a broadside by Joyce Carol Oates, but the first book was Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu by John Updike, who is still my favorite author and the writer we have published the most often. Prior to beginning publishing I had a modest career as a bookseller, selling first editions by catalog, specializing in signed books. All the while we have been publishing we have continued to issue the occasional catalog of first
editions. Publishing these little books has always been a chancy proposition
and the close proximity with authors enabled me to put together signed books
and manuscripts which ended up supporting the press.
Good collectors have good instincts so when I began working with
Gerald R. Ford I also started putting together a collection of letters and
documents by U.S. Presidents. And my son Bill encouraged me to enter the
film poster field and do the same thing that I had done with books, get them
signed. Another avenue, another wonderful adventure. And it has led to Lord John Film Festival. All roads lead to books or movies, that's my experience.
The most asked question over the years has been how did I come up with Lord
John Press as a name. Well, it was relatively simple. I work with yellow
legal pads as a best friend and make lists of names or ideas until something
jells. I listed the authors that I wanted to work with: Updike, Barth, Fowles, Gardner, Cheever, Hawkes and they were all named John so that was easy and then I added "Lord" to marry Great Britain and America. It was like naming a child and now when I see Lord John Press in print, it is just like seeing my own name and I still get a rush when it appears in print or someone else's article. It was also a kind of homage to John Updike because one of the rooms in my home is devoted to his work.
On a personal basis I have led a charmed life, been both lucky and fortunate,
have had a good time. There are bumps and bruises in everyone's life, the
worst in mine was when my wife Patricia died in 1994, but you go on. That caused a break in publishing but I was encouraged by friends, notably Ray Bradbury and John Updike, to get back into the fray. Once again, here I am.
I am also very close to seventy years old, on January 24th, 2005, and it has become time to stop
serving as caretaker to many of the things I have collected over the years.
In the next four years I hope to sell off most of my personal stuff and
many items will be listed on this website. Some things will go to auction and as far as the Lord John Press archives, Jack Bacon of Reno, Nevada will be in charge of placing them intact at some university or college library or to some wealthy collector who is younger than its current owner. |
