Recently, the following advertisement was posted to the newsgroup alt.books.kurt-vonnegut. 
John Dinsmore & Associates, Booksellers
1037 Castleton Way South        Lexington, Ky  40517-2724
(606) 271-8042   Daily 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM Eastern Time
FAX to same number; no dedicated FAX line, so voice call first.
America Online:  dinsmorej    Internet:  dinsmorej@aol.com
Kurt Vonnegut books & silkscreens - First editions for sale

See full list at rec.arts.books.marketplace

New Vonnegut Encyclopedia

[VONNEGUT]. LEEDS, Marc, ed. The Vonnegut Encyclopedia; An Authorized Compendium. Westport, CT, Greenwood Press, 1995. 1st ed. First printing: 1,500 copies. 693p. Foreward by Kurt Vonnegut. B&W frontispiece photo of Vonnegut by Marc Leeds. Two-color dust jacket cover illustration of "Self-Portrait No.3," created by Vonnegut in 1993 and executed as one of three silkscreens by Lexington, KY, artist, Joe Petro III. Front flap notes by Leeds. At publisher's list price: net 75.00

Comprehensive descriptive catalogue of characters, themes, phrasing and imagery found throughout Vonnegut's works. Final entry (edited): "Zog. The diminuative creature from the planet Margo who comes in friendship to Earth. He is killed by a golf-club-wielding homeowner who is startled by Zog and his crude speech, a series of farts and tap dancing." A mine of info for Vonnegut fans who dig Trivial Pursuit.

I called Mr. Dinsmore, and he was very personable. We chatted about Vonnegut for a little while. He also described Vonnegut's connection to Lexington, KY, and Vonnegut's connection with the author of the Encyclopedia.

The book is mostly meant to be a reference work for Libraries and stuff, but Mr. Dinsmore thought it might be interesting for fans and collectors to own, so he's offering a bunch of copies for sale. I'll add more here when I get the book in the mail.

Well, I got the book, and I love it. It's a big thick tome, unbelievable in size (about three inches thick) and scope. There are entries for every character, major object, city, etc. that Vonnegut ever used in his books. Well, maybe not everything (There's no reference to Hal Irwin's Magic Lamp for one thing), but enough to keep me happy.

If you're the kind of person who has read all of Vonnegut's books three times or more, and finds yourself wanting to look something up (to use in a conversation or something) and don't usually feel like reading a whole novel just to find what you're looking for, this book is for you.

I keep the encyclopedia right on my shelf-o-Vonnegut. I doubt I'll ever have the fortitude to read the whole way through it, but it's good to know the book is there. Much like a secular bible.

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