The Last Circus & The Electroution [ Herb Yellin's Proof Copy & Bradbury Signed Christmas Poem ]

Ray Bradbury

Northridge California: Lord John Press. Illustrated by Joe Mugnaini. Proof Copy. Plain wrappers. Item #5006

Plain wrappers in printed jacket with ink "Proof Copy" stamps on the wrapper cover and front free end paper. First Edition, stated. Wear to volume's inner spine: text block bound tightly together but unattached to the plain wrappers. Fine throughout the inside of edition with some wear to the outer edges of the paper wrappers.

Includes a Christmas poem sent out by Ray Bradbury and his wife, folded and tucked into the pages of this proof edition, providing the Bradbury collector with a bit of sentimental insight into the writer's personal life. Printed on fine paper, the Christmas Greeting poem is inscribed: Herb! Bruce! Love - Ray and Mag!" Titled "Christmas Greetings from Marguerite and Ray Bradbury," the poem begins with: "Scanning the Universe with its multifold of stars, the humanoid robot George Bernard Shaw at last spoke to describe the history of Mankind..."


From the personal estate of Herb Yellin.

In Sam Weller's "Listen to the Echos: The Ray Bradbury Interviews," Ray Bradbury recalls an episode from his childhood in the 1930s, while attending a carnival and witnessing a performer:

"He was a performer sitting in an electric chair and a stagehand pulled a switch and he was charged with fifty thousand volts of pure electricity. Lightening flashed in his eyes and his hair stood out. I sat below, in the front row, and he reached down with a flaming sword full of electricity and tapped me on both of the shoulders and then the tip of my nose and he cried, "Live, forever!"

And I thought, 'God, that's wonderful. How to do you do that?'"

Regarded as one of Ray Bradbury's most enduring narratives, this story has been scrutinized by journalists, writers, fans across forums, even Bradbury scholars, resulting in uncertainty. The story remained one that Bradbury took immense delight in sharing, seemingly drawing great wonder each time he recounted it.


A note about Lord John Press:

Lord John Press was a small private press founded by Herb Yellin in 1977. The press was based in Northridge, California, and it specialized in publishing limited edition, fine press books. Herb Yellin, the founder, was known for his passion for literature and his dedication to producing high-quality, collectible editions of works by notable authors.

Lord John Press published works by various well-known authors, including Norman Mailer, Ray Bradbury, Joyce Carol Oates, and others. Herb Yellin, widely recognized as one of the most influential publishers in contemporary times, dedicated himself to crafting collector's edition publications and specialized in compiling smaller works from renowned authors—poems, short stories, essays—meticulously presenting them in the highest caliber collector's editions. From page quality to typesetting and cover board designs, Yellin's commitment to excellence was unwavering.

After Lord John Press ceased operations, the limited availability and high quality of their publications made their books sought after by collectors.

Out of stock