Ellroy, James (1987) ‘The Black Dahlia’, US first edition signed association copy

James Ellroy (1987) ‘The Black Dahlia’, US first edition, first printing, published by The Mysterious Press. Signed and inscribed by Ellroy to Art Cooper: ‘To Art Cooper – with great thanks for making Dick Contino’s accordion wail again, [signature].” Art Cooper (1937-2003) was editor of GQ Magazine (1983-2003) and broadened the scope of the magazine making GQ one of the first gentlemen’s lifestyle magazine. He was famed for nurturing writers and in 1994 James Ellroy published the essay ‘My Mother’s Killer’ for GQ in which Ellroy gives an account how and why he opened the case file of his mother’s unsolved murder:

https://www.gq.com/story/james-ellroy-murder

Ellroy and Cooper subsequently became friends. The inscription refers to Dick Contino (1930-2017), who was a great accordionist and singer. Ellroy wrote the novella ‘Dick Contino’s Blues’ which is included in the ‘Hollywood Nocturnes’ anthology. Ellroy interviewed Contino for the novella and it was published in Granta (Winter 1994). A great association copy of the best living American crime writer today.

Condition: a very fine copy

The story for ‘The Black Dahlia’ in inspired by true events surrounding the murder of Elizabeth Short in 1947, as well as the unsolved case of Ellroy’s mother’s murder when James was only ten years old. It catapulted Ellroy into literary stardom. The first book of the ‘L.A. Quartet’ which was adapted as a film by Brian De Palma in 2006 starring Scarlett Johansson and Josh Hartnett.