Capote, Truman. 1924-1984. Knight, Hilary, illus. Eight original artworks by Knight for an unpublished picture book in the Random House "Beginner Books" series, watercolor, ink and pencil, various sizes, comprising cover/jacket design, a single page and two double-page spreads with text by Capote (in Knight's hand), and four watercolor sketches of a clown kite. WITH: seven sketches by the Random House art department, and a 5 pp pamphlet internally distributed by Random House on photographic paper A Few Suggestions for Authors Working on Their First Beginner Books. ORIGINAL WATERCOLORS AND COVER ART FOR TRUMAN CAPOTE'S ONLY CHILDREN'S BOOK, NEVER PUBLISHED. When The Cat in the Hat (1957) by Dr. Seuss became a runaway hit, the good doctor himself, Theodor Geisel, his wife Helen Palmer, and Random House editor Phyllis Cerf formed an imprint to publish a whole line of these easy to read books, Beginner Books. Random House then contacted the company's bestselling adult authors to see if any of them would be willing to write a book for the series. Most either turned them down or came up with nothing when they were informed that they had to stick strictly to a 100 Word List and follow the pamphlet A Few Suggestions for Authors Working on Their First Beginner Books. Truman Capote, then best known for Breakfast At Tiffany's (1958), was at least willing to give it a try. When the manuscript of the only known children's story by Capote was exhibited at The New York Public Library in 1988, The New York Times described it as a "jolly tale of a pig made airworthy by animal friends." Mr. Knight's pictures were even jollier. But in the end the project was never completed because Capote felt too restricted by such a limited vocabulary and far too many rules. Among the publisher's banal suggestions were: "Make your reader itch to find out what's going to happen next" and "Remember the Beginner Readers are scared stiff of words! Your job is to help them learn that reading can be exciting." "Eudora Welty failed!" Mr. Knight recalls. No wonder. Mr. Knight was likewise frustrated by the art department's incessant suggestions to revise the cover and interior art that are included with this archive.
Capote, Truman. 1924-1984. Knight, Hilary, illus. Eight original artworks by Knight for an unpublished picture book in the Random House "Beginner Books" series, watercolor, ink and pencil, various sizes, comprising cover/jacket design, a single page and two double-page spreads with text by Capote (in Knight's hand), and four watercolor sketches of a clown kite. WITH: seven sketches by the Random House art department, and a 5 pp pamphlet internally distributed by Random House on photographic paper A Few Suggestions for Authors Working on Their First Beginner Books. ORIGINAL WATERCOLORS AND COVER ART FOR TRUMAN CAPOTE'S ONLY CHILDREN'S BOOK, NEVER PUBLISHED. When The Cat in the Hat (1957) by Dr. Seuss became a runaway hit, the good doctor himself, Theodor Geisel, his wife Helen Palmer, and Random House editor Phyllis Cerf formed an imprint to publish a whole line of these easy to read books, Beginner Books. Random House then contacted the company's bestselling adult authors to see if any of them would be willing to write a book for the series. Most either turned them down or came up with nothing when they were informed that they had to stick strictly to a 100 Word List and follow the pamphlet A Few Suggestions for Authors Working on Their First Beginner Books. Truman Capote, then best known for Breakfast At Tiffany's (1958), was at least willing to give it a try. When the manuscript of the only known children's story by Capote was exhibited at The New York Public Library in 1988, The New York Times described it as a "jolly tale of a pig made airworthy by animal friends." Mr. Knight's pictures were even jollier. But in the end the project was never completed because Capote felt too restricted by such a limited vocabulary and far too many rules. Among the publisher's banal suggestions were: "Make your reader itch to find out what's going to happen next" and "Remember the Beginner Readers are scared stiff of words! Your job is to help them learn that reading can be exciting." "Eudora Welty failed!" Mr. Knight recalls. No wonder. Mr. Knight was likewise frustrated by the art department's incessant suggestions to revise the cover and interior art that are included with this archive.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
