Carols in Cactus Land - rare and unusual book of poetry

Description: This unique book of poetry has a flexible cover made of thin slices of Joshua tree, stamped with title and a line drawing of a joshua tree.The covers and pages of this book were originally joined with leather strips which have disintegrated over time - the ties have been replaced with ribbon. Each page is decorated with line drawings of Joshua trees to carry over the theme. These unique plants are native to the Pearblossom area in the Mojave Desert. The poems reflect the quiet and beauty of the Mojave Desert area, as well as the thoughts of a man reaching his later years. The author, “King Zany” was born “Charles W. Dill”, June 11, 1889 in Toledo, Ohio. He composed songs recorded by several dance bands. From 1918 through 1929 he appeared in shorts and in silent films. Listed in the credits as “King Zany", he appeared in Broadway or Bust (1924), and The Danger Rider (1928) with Hoot Gibson. He appeared in other films with many of the stars of the era, including Mary Astor, Louise Brooks, and others.After a horse-riding accident, King Zany became an invalid and spent his last years in Pearblossom, California, where he dedicated himself to writing poetry.” He died on Feb. 19, 1939, in Ramona, California the year after publishing this title.This copy has turned a bit dark around the edges of the cover, and due to the fragile nature of the cover material the corners have become slightly rounded (see photos) It is in good condition with no tears or stains. Text of the poems replicates the author’s own hand lettering. The text and illustrations are printed in sepia-rust color. Self-published; Pearblossom, California; 1938 8” x 9” 17 pages, un-paginated.Poetry, California Literature, Film Actors

Price: 45 USD

Location: San Marcos, Texas

End Time: 2024-12-04T23:11:02.000Z

Shipping Cost: 4.63 USD