Notes on this edition: Julian Barnes. Staring at the Sun | Dust Jacket Slide Alfred A. Knopf, 1987.
This ephemeral slide depicts the dust jacket art work for the Alfred A. Knopf edition of Julian Barnes’s novel Starting at the Sun. Julian Barnes sent the slide to Rolland Comstock, noted book collector who specialized in contemporary authors. Barnes has inscribed the paper enclosing the slide and included a note dated 10 May 1996 to Comstock that reads:
“Dear Rolland:
Turning out my study I came across
this Knopf transparency for the SAS cover.
I bet you haven’t got it. I shall be dismayed
if you have. This is to assuage the guilt
I still feel at only being able to sign 48%
of your suitcase.
Hope one of your children is getting
interested in books.
Best wishes,
Julian B.”