Some 35 years ago, Charles Bukowski wrote, “Fante was my god”—and with those four words, he brought John Fante and his great books back out of near-obscurity. The quote is from the preface Bukowski wrote for the 1980 Black Sparrow Press reissue of Fante's 1939 novel Ask the Dust, his semi-autobiographical masterpiece of loneliness and Los Angeles, optimism and passion in the face of destitut... [more]

Literary Los Angeles: A Legacy as Diverse as the City Itself The Hollywood sign looms large over Los Angeles. However, despite its close association with the motion picture industry, the enduring promise and dark undercurrents of America's first postmodern city are best understood through its prose and poetry. This literary legacy will be on display in February when the world's leading antiquarian... [more]

During the twentieth century, Los Angeles produced a number of fine printers, Saul Marks and Ward Ritchie being familiar names. Perhaps not as well-known was Richard John Hoffman (1912-1989), a native of the city, with a massive output of printed work. Hoffman himself estimated his production at 15 to 20 items of printed material per week over a career spanning 66 years - that comes close to 50,00... [more]

UPDATE: These items have been recovered! PLATO. The Republic of Plato. In Ten Books. Translated From the Greek by H. Spens. With a Preliminary Discourse Concerning the Philosophy of the Ancients By the Translator. Glasgow: Robert & Andrew Foulis, 1763. First Edition in English. Please contact us if offered, please. Heritage Book Shop 310-659-3674 [more]