Re: RARA-AVIS: cover art

James Stephenson (James_E_Stephenson@umail.umd.edu)
Wed, 17 Dec 1997 09:30:23 -0500 Michael asks:

> I'm looking for suggestions as to what would be the best way to go
> about researching paperback cover art and blurbs from the period 1945-65.
> I'm particularly interested in finding books that a. refer to (directly or
> indirectly) homosexuality, and b. refer to Kinsey or his report.

Check out Stephen Alexander Loeb's "Tawdry Town" website. He's a
paperback collector who specializes in sleaze and sex paperbacks. There
are some interesting articles, lots of pictures, and a fine selection of
links. He'd also be a good source to talk to about your project. You
can reach the site at:
http://www.users.interport.net/~xcentrik/maindrag.html

> I realize
> this isn't explicitly a "hard-boiled" question, but some hard-boiled
> pbs (esp. pb originals) have these features.

Lawrence Block wrote dozens of pornographic paperbacks under a variety
of pseudonyms. I've heard that he's reluctant to discuss them now, and
attribution is largely a matter of guesswork (a bookstore here in the DC
area has perhaps 3 dozen which they've attributed to Block, and have
priced them accordingly--about $60 each). I've seen lesbian paperbacks
attributed to Donald Westlake as well.

> Also, does anyone know/like the work of Vin Packer (who wrote
> many, many Gold Medal PBOs)?

I haven't read anything by her yet, but a couple of her novels, like
_Dark Intruder_ and _3 day Terror_ must have been very popular, because
they went through multiple reprintings. If I recall correctly, Ed
Gorman had some good things to say about her in his introduction to the
first _Black Lizard Anthology_ (reprinted in a slightly revised form in
the _Fine Art of Murder_ collection from 1993).

-- 
James Stephenson
Rare Books & Special Collections Cataloger
McKeldin Library
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Email: js272@umail.umd.edu
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