My Copy of Ken Krimstein's When I Grow Up

I was unable to attend the event in the Strand Book Store's rare book room on December 14 featuring cartoonist Ken Krimstein in conversation with Molly Crabapple. The topic was his new book When I Grow Up: The Autobiographies of Six Yiddish Teens. I ordered a signed copy via mail order, the next best thing to a personalized copy.

CBS Mornings

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Another Copy of Ken Krimstein's The Three Escapes of Hannah Arendt

Ken Krimstein's The Three Escapes of Hannah Arendt is one example of the sort of extremely ambitious book projects some New Yorker cartoonists have undertaken in recent years. The graphic novel is subtitled A Tyranny of Truth, for those who still remember what truth is. Below is a copy signed by Mr. Krimstein with a drawing of Hannah Arendt. On the cover she is depicted wearing green throughout her life, and smoking throughout her adult life.

Ken Krimstein
The Three Escapes of Hannah Arendt:  A Tyranny of Truth
New York:  Bloomsbury, 2018

Signed by Ken Krimstein with a drawing of Hannah Arendt

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Ken Krimstein

Signed Books with Original Drawings

Attempted Bloggery's Philosophical Index

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My Copy of Ken Krimstein's The Three Escapes of Hannah Arendt

Last week I attended a talk and book signing at Barnes & Noble on East 86th Street. Nancy Miller, the editorial director at Bloomsbury Publishing, is the editor of both Ken Krimstein's The Three Escapes of Hannah Arendt: A Tyranny of Truth (2018) and Roz Chast's Going Into Town: A Love Letter to New York (2017). Both cartoonist authors discussed these ambitious books intelligently and—no surprise here—entertainingly. I already have a signed copy of Going Into Town but I jumped at the opportunity to have Mr. Krimstein sign his new book. He added a sketch of the chain-smoking Hannah Arendt in her ubiquitous green dress.

Ken Krimstein
The Three Escapes of Hannah Arendt:  A Tyranny of Truth
New York:  Bloomsbury, 2018

Signed and dedicated by Ken Krimstein with a drawing of Hannah Arendt

Nancy Miller, left, in conversation with Ken Krimstein and Roz Chast

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Ken Krimstein

Roz Chast

Signed Books with Original Drawings

Attempted Bloggery's Philosophical Index

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The City Kids of Whitney Darrow, Jr.

Whitney Darrow, Jr.  One of my all-time favorites. Perhaps the best ever at drawing original cartoons in his books as gifts for the recipients.

--Christpher Wheeler

Perhaps indeed. One book recipient, Faith B. Cross, was born in 1923 and reared in Manhattan. She would have been around 20 when Whitney Darrow, Jr. published "You're Sitting on my Eyelashes" in 1943. A copy of the book is dedicated to her with an original color drawing. The drawing shows a girl, a boy, and a dog on the streets of the city. All three appear to be quite happy with their world. Today the recipient is known as Faith Cross Sweeney of Venice, FL and Lake Barrington, IL. Her former copy of the book is now in the collection of cartoonist Ken Krimstein.

Whitney Darrow, Jr.

"You're Sitting on my Eyelashes" (1943)

Inscribed "Best regards to Faith B. Cross from Whitney Darrow, jr."

Photo courtesy of Ken Krimstein

Note:  There is a lot more to be said about Whitney Darrow, Jr. and I for one am not afraid to say it.

Is Christopher Wheeler correct?  Was Darrow the best practitioner of creating original cartoons in his books? Certainly he used color more than Addams, Booth, and Koren, among other masters of the book illuminator's art. Before we jump to any conclusions, though, let's check out this blog's archive of signed books with original drawings. And for good measure save some time for Chris Wheeler's site too. Then you can report your scholarly findings in the comments section. Who might your favorite be?

Does your personal library have hidden treasures by New Yorker artists that deserve to be shared with the world? You know I'd be happy to be of assistance.

Thanks to Ken Krimstein for his kind permission to use this image.

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