Ellison Under Glass

The stories in this collection were written in public. The lion’s share were written in bookstore windows—hence the title. One was written at a party, two at conventions, and one is a story he started at the Golden China restaurant and finished in the window of Change of Hobbit bookstore. Harlan wrote in public because he wanted people to see that writing was no joke—it was work. Often he would ask for what he called a “kick-start,” a line or a idea from the live audience that gathered in and outside the bookstores. He had no tricks up his sleeve, just a point to make and a story to write, and he would tape the pages on the window so the crowd outside could read each page as he wrote it.

This is the very first printing of these stories in their in-window versions—the words Harlan wrote while performing the writing live—which he later tinkered with before they went into separate collections. This is also the first time these stories are collected in the edition that Harlan envisioned and tried for years to have published.

Harlan told Charnel House that he wanted a picture of himself writing in a bookstore window inlaid in the front board and covered with glass. Photographer, Rod Searcey, was at The Booksmith in San Fransisco on May 14, 1994 where Robin Williams handed Harlan an envelope with his “kick start” for the story, which became “Keyboard”. Rod shot the day of writing and his pictures illustrate this book. We have picked out a shot of Harlan writing for the inlay on the 100 numbered copies, as well as 26 individual shots, a different one for each copy of the lettered edition, each to be printed as original silver gel prints and mounted above Harlan’s signature.

The Stories:

• O Ye Of Little Faith
• The Voice In The Garden
• Strange Wine
• From A To Z, In The Chocolate Alphabet
• Mom
• Emissary From Hamelin
• Lonely Women Are The Vessels Of Time
• The Diagnosis Of D’arqueAngel
• Working With The Little People
• Hitler Painted Roses
• The Man Who Was Heavily Into Revenge
• All The Birds Come Home To Roost
• Django
• Opium
• Flop Sweat
• Count The Clock That Tells The Time
• Footsteps
• Broken Glass
• On The Slap
• Nights of Black Glass
• Stuffing
• When Auld’s Acquaintance Is Forgot
• The Hour That Stretches
• The Avenger of Death
• Jane Doe #112
• From A To Z, In The Sarsaparilla Alphabet
• Keyboard
• Objects of Desire In The Mirror Are Closer
• Than They Appear
• Weariness

Unsigned Specifications:

• 250 Unsigned/Numbered Copies:
• Handbound in handmade Cave Paper imbedded with
• glass-like mica chips, with an inlaid label on the front board.
• 7 X 10.5 inches / 4 X 4 inch imbedded photo/signature window / 320 pages

Signed Specifications

• 100 Signed/Numbered Copies:
• (of which only 80 copies are for public sale)
• Handbound in black Japanese silk with a silver gel print of Harlan,
• as well as Harlan’s handwritten signature, imbedded deep within the front board
• under a window of UV glass. Housed in a handmade traycase bound in Japanese silk.
• 7 X 10.5 inches / 4 X 4 inch imbedded photo/signature window / 320 pages

Lettered Specifications

• 26 Signed/Lettered Copies: (of which only 19 copies are for public sale)
• Handbound in red sharkskin Japanese silk,
• each copy with a different silver gel print unique to each book and
• Harlan’s handwritten signature imbedded deep within the front board under a window of UV glass. Housed in a handmade traycase bound in Japanese silk.
• 7 X 10.5 inches / 4 X 4 inch imbedded photo/signature window
• 320 pages
• Publication Date: May 2020

Numbered State (Black) on left Lettered State (Red) on right - Pictures on cover will differ.

Picture of Picture on Numbered State