Books
Type Punch Matrix Offers Rare Sylvia Plath Manuscript
The poem, “Snowflake Star,” is written entirely in the poet’s hand.
SILVER SPRING, Md., October 19, 2023 (CarryOnHarry.com)
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In its latest catalogue, Washington D.C.-based rare book firm Type Punch Matrix offers more than 70 historic books and documents from the 16th to the 21st century — including an incredibly rare manuscript poem by a teenage Sylvia Plath.
The poem, “Snowflake Star,” is written entirely in the poet’s hand. According to TPM co-founder Rebecca Romney, that makes it very unusual in the marketplace: “While typescripts of her poems do appear from time to time, practically all of her handwritten drafts remained with Plath’s papers, which now reside almost entirely in institutions.” And while the poem was written when the poet was just 14, Romney explains, “It is one of a small number of early poems in which Plath first began experimenting with images that would come to define her most famous work. We were excited to offer the poem when we first saw it because her voice was so clearly already present.”
Other important highlights from the catalogue include:
- An original program for Muhammad Ali’s legendary rematch against Sonny Liston, signed as “Muhammad Ali” shortly before the bout, only a year after he took the name — and additionally signed by three other heavyweight champs present at Ali’s training camp: Joe Louis, Jim Braddock, and Jersey Joe Walcott.
- A previously unrecorded printing of one of Martin Luther King’s most important speeches: his anti-war address at The Riverside Church, delivered exactly one year to the day before his assassination.
- An original Yayoi Kusama’s poster advertising the 1965 installation of her first ever mirror room — hand-addressed by the artist in 1965 to the Museum of Modern Art.
- An extravagant (and extravagantly purple) deluxe signed book from Prince, documenting the musician’s legendary 21-night 2007 residency at London’s O2 arena — with forty minutes of exclusive footage on the original included iPod.
These items and others from the catalogue will be featured in TPM’s booth (#326) at the upcoming Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair being held next week October 27th – 29th, 2023 at the Hynes Convention Center.
“We’re proud to help steward items such as these to the next generation of collectors,” said Brian Cassidy, Type Punch Matrix co-founder. “Book collecting is a conscious project to discover, preserve, and learn,” Cassidy said. “It informs our modern thinking with the successes and failures of history, with stories that remind us why we work, why we want to create, and how we want to live.”
Link to the catalogue (PDF):
https://typepunchmatrix.cdn.bibliopolis.com/images/upload/tpm-print-cat-5-online.pdf
About the company:
Type Punch Matrix is a rare book founded by Rebecca Romney and Brian Cassidy. Romney (a “cockeyed optimist of bibliophilia” according to Variety) is the rare book expert on the HISTORY Channel’s show Pawn Stars and author of the book Printer’s Error. Cassidy (described by the Village Voice as “an enthusiastic, soulful young dealer”) is a specialist in the Beats, counterculture, 20th-century avant-garde and outsider works, and is an authority on modern duplicating technologies. The New York Times has praised TPM for its “edgy stock that pushes the boundaries of the rare books category.” The company offers an eclectic mix of landmark books alongside quirky, off-beat material: everything from classic first editions of Jane Austen, Edgar Allen Poe, and Walt Whitman; to original Patti Smith flyers once stapled to telephone poles, and the first book (1881) to describe the Venn diagram.
Source: Type Punch Matrix
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Books
Author Releases Novel About First Responder’s Life After 9/11 at No Cost
Balle Balle Radio™ Entertainment Desk
Author Erin Strong is offering her novel "She Never Left Ground Zero: A Novel of Courage, Love, and the Hidden Cost of 9/11" as a free download through September 30, according to the announcement. No registration, email address, purchase, subscription, or review is required, and coincides with the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
The novel is fiction but draws on the real experience of an NYPD officer, per the announcement. It centers on Sofia Vega, an NYPD officer whose work amid the smoke and debris in the aftermath leads to lasting consequences she and her family must face. Strong has said she wanted to write about what happened to first responders and their families after press coverage of the attacks faded — a theme that echoes a broader body of anniversary-year 9/11 literature, including nonfiction essay collections and survivor accounts published or reissued around the same milestone.
According to Strong, "I wanted to tell a deeply personal story about what happened after the television cameras moved on." "Many first responders and their families continued living with the consequences of September 11 for years. This novel honors their courage, their sacrifices, and the people who loved them through it all."
The free download is available at sheneverleftgroundzero.com. The book will also remain for sale on Amazon and other retailers after the promotional window closes. Strong’s team can be reached through the same website or by phone.
Studio CarryOnHarry Perspective
At Studio CarryOnHarry, we see Strong’s September timing as a textbook example of anniversary marketing strategy. Major commemorative dates like the 25th anniversary of 9/11 generate enormous search volume and media attention—precisely when potential readers are already thinking about the subject matter. By anchoring a free promotion to this peak-interest window, authors capture visibility they’d need to spend significantly on advertising to achieve otherwise. The counterintuitive logic: giving away the book for free during high-traffic periods can actually drive more long-term sales than traditional paid campaigns, because it builds audience reach, generates word-of-mouth momentum, and establishes the title in readers’ minds before the promotional window closes. When the book returns to paid status in October, those who downloaded it free become natural candidates for follow-up engagement—reviews, recommendations, and future purchases. It’s a calculated play on consumer psychology and search behavior that extends the book’s commercial lifespan well beyond September.
Read more People’s Choice stories on Studio CarryOnHarry. Reporting via Live News Vault.
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Books
New Fantasy Novel Explores Orphan’s Journey Through Magic and Danger
Balle Balle Radio™ Entertainment Desk
Author C. A. Ballard has released a debut fantasy novel, "The Lost Legacy," following a young orphan protagonist drawn into a battle against a malevolent force seeking to strip the world of its magical power, according to the publisher’s announcement.
The book comes from Newman Springs Publishing, a New Jersey-based author-services publisher that works with writers across genres to produce and distribute their books; the company is handling both publication and promotion for the title. The novel is available in stores and through major digital retailers, including Amazon, Apple, Google Play and Barnes & Noble.
According to the publisher, Zara must safeguard her sibling while partnering with an ensemble of fantastical beings including fae warriors, mythical creatures, and magical beings to combat darkness — against an antagonist seeking to strip the world of its magic.
Ballard, described in the release as a wife, mother and grandmother with a background in accounting and medical billing, said medical challenges led her to pursue creative endeavors. "I wanted to craft deeply engaging stories about everyday individuals finding remarkable capabilities within themselves," Ballard said in a statement. "Zara’s story is about finding your tribe, embracing your power, and refusing to surrender to darkness." The publisher’s announcement notes additional projects from Ballard are already in development.
There is no independent review coverage of "The Lost Legacy" available yet; retail listings confirm the book’s publication details but do not offer critical assessment. Readers interested in the book can find purchase links through the publisher’s website or major retailers.
Studio CarryOnHarry Perspective
At Studio CarryOnHarry, we recognize that Ballard’s ensemble approach—layering fae warriors, mythical creatures, and magical beings alongside a resourceful orphan protagonist—speaks directly to a defining shift in contemporary fantasy publishing. Today’s YA and new-adult readers expect worldbuilding that extends beyond a single chosen one; they crave diverse supernatural allies and complex team dynamics that reflect both traditional mythology and modern storytelling sensibilities. Zara’s "finding your tribe" arc taps into this broader cultural moment where belonging and chosen family rival the hero’s individual journey. As the fantasy market continues to reward narratives emphasizing collective strength over solitary heroism, Ballard’s decision to populate her world with multiple fantastical perspectives positions "The Lost Legacy" within reader expectations that have reshaped the genre over the past five years. This matters because debut authors who understand—and authentically execute—these ensemble-driven narratives are better positioned to build engaged readerships from launch.
Read more People’s Choice stories on Studio CarryOnHarry. Reporting via Live News Vault.
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