It's Me O Lord: The Autobiography of Rockwell Kent
New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, (1955). First Edition. Drawings, reproductions of paintings by Rockwell Kent. Some color. Hardcover. Octavo. xii, 617 pages.
A sweeping, defiant autobiography from one of America's most iconic and uncompromising illustrators, adventurers, and writers. This copy is warmly inscribed and signed by Kent on front free endpaper: "To that most generous of men, / my friend Bill Smart, / with warm regards, / Rockwell Kent / 1966."
Rockwell Kent wrote several books of his travel and sailing adventures. He illustrated his own works as well as numerous classics of literature, including the famous 1930 Lakeside Press edition of Moby Dick. He designed the Random House logo and the ship in the Viking Press logo.
In this memoir, Kent recounts his life in vivid detail—from Arctic voyages and artistic triumphs to his clash with McCarthy-era censorship. Published just two years after his Supreme Court victory restoring his passport, this memoir blends personal narrative with political conviction, offering a rare window into the conscience of a blacklisted artist.
Bound in dark blue cloth over boards with gilt-stamped spine and upper board. Minor extremity bumps and points of rubbing to binding. Jacket has shallow edge chips, light rubs along joint and fore edge folds, and two larger chips to upper mid-section of spine. Front panel jacket illustration has a bit of fading to left margin. Prior owner has added some tape reinforcements to underside of jacket. Very good in a good dust jacket.
Item #1959
Price: $375