Where I read of an article in the New York Times Style Magazine - perhaps their version of one of our trashy colour supplements - about James Baldwin. It starts off reasonably enough: ''Giovanni’s Room' Revisited. James Baldwin’s 1956 novel is a layered exploration of queer desire - and of the writer’s own sense of self'. Then the picture included left, then the caption: 'Left: The Row T-shirt, $250, (212) 755-2017. A.P.C. jeans, $220, apc-us.com. Right: Hermès shirt, $960, hermes.com. Dior Men pants, price on request, (800) 929-3467. Photo by John Edmonds. Styled by Carlos Nazario'. What?
Compounded by the fact the snap, one of a series of arty compositions accompanying the article, is of a black man with a white man - while the novel in question was about two white men. Guessing, colour was not what the book was about.
While on the back page I learn from the people at reference 2 that I could probably buy a copy of 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone', from the first printing of the first edition, for something of the order of £25,000. Does such a first printing only come in 100 copies, a speculation on eventual fame and fortune? In any event, if Forum Auctions have got it right, some people have a lot more money than sense.
Trivia apart, this number of the TLS does look to contain a fair bit to interest me. Worth its £3.95 on this occasion.
Reference 1: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/05/t-magazine/james-baldwin-giovannis-room.html.
Reference 2: https://www.forumauctions.co.uk/.
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