Jan Herman's "The Z Collection: Portraits & Sketches" (2015/2017/2018)

New York City: AC Books (book, 1st), 2015.
8" x 5" x 0.625", 238 pages, softcover, ISBN 9781939901071

Jan Herman's book of essays, The Z Collection: Portraits and Sketches, was published in 2015 by AC Books in New York City. A set of essays on several writers whom Herman knew.

There are three specific essays of historical and biographical value for those interested in Burroughs. The first, "My Adventures in Fugitive Literature", pp. 29-57, is a history of Jan Herman's publishing and editing, including the San Francisco Earthquake, Nova Broadcast Press, and Something Else Press – all of which published Burroughs (and Brion Gysin).

The second essay is "William S. Burroughs: Incidental Intelligence", pp. 59-71, a history of Jan Herman with William S. Burroughs. 

The third essay is "Herbert Huncke: Triple Threat", pp.187-190, which contains significant mention of Burroughs.

There are no illustrations in this edition, aside from a photo of Jan Herman towards the back of the book.

In the archives, I also have a copy of the 2017 edition from Blue Wind Press (Berkeley, California, US). 8" x 5" x 0.5, 197 pages, ISBN 978-0-912652-81-8. Book and cover design by George Mattingly. The foreword for this edition by Paul Buhle. This edition includes a number of greyscale illustrations in a 28-page center section. This contains a different selection of content from the 2015 edition.

This edition, and the Moloko Press edition following it, omit the sections on Frederick Forsyth, James Michener, Mary Welsh Hemingway, John Cheever, and Athol Fugard.

This copy is inscribed to me by Jan Herman, and was received as a gift after returning his copy of Barry Miles' William Burroughs: El Hombre Invisible, which Miles had inscribed to him. 

Also in the archives is a copy of the 2018 edition by Moloko Print (Germany) as #043. 9.5" x 5.5" x 0.75", 198 pages, ISBN 978-3-943603-45-3. Book design by George Mattingly and Robert Schalinksi, and cover art and design are by George Mattingly. As noted at the copyright page, the "first edition of The Z Collection was published by AC Books | NY in 2015. This new edition has been revised, updated, and redesigned. A foreword and afterword have been added, along with documentary photographs and illustrations." The foreword is the same as the Paul Buhle foreword from the 2017 edition. The afterword is an interview between Aaron Shulman and Jan Herman for the Los Angeles Review of Books.

This edition varies from the 2017 edition mostly in the content and order of illustrations.

This copy is also inscribed by Jan Herman to me, and was received with the 2017 edition copy and two other works by Herman. 

2015 Edition Contents: 

• Preface
• Portraits:
• "Nelson Algren: Ticket to New Jersey"
• "Jan Herman: My Adventures in Fugitive Literature"
• "William S. Burroughs: Incidental Intelligence"
• "Godfrey Reggio: Life Out of Balance"
• "Norman Mailer: In the Middle of His Journey"
• Sketches: 
• "William Styron: "Points on the Compass"
• "Jack Abbott: Lost and Convicted"
• "Paul Theroux: Climbing Parnassus"
• "E. L. Doctorow: "Inside Straight"
• "Frederick Forsyth: Exit from Fleet Street"
• "James Michener: The Professional"
• "Mary Welsh Hemingway: Their Storybook Life"
• "Alistair Cooke: Writing for Listeners"
• "John Cheever: Felling a Tree"
• "Athol Fugard: His South Africa"
• "Herbert Huncke: Triple Threat"
• "Allen Ginsberg: Way Out West"
• "Jack Kerouac: Bottoms Up"
• "Abbie Hoffman: Stand-up Activist"
• "Ben Hecht: The Paradox"
• "Garson Kanin: Scribble, Scribble"
• Notes
• About the Author

2017 Edition Contents: 

• Paul Buhle: foreword
• Preface
• Portraits & Sketches:
• "Nelson Algren: Ticket to New Jersey"
• "A Self-Portrait: My Adventures in Fugitive Literature"
• "William S. Burroughs: Incidental Intelligence"
• "Herbert Huncke: Triple Threat"
• "Allen Ginsberg: Way Out West"
• "Jack Kerouac: Bottoms Up"
• "Abbie Hoffman: Standup Activist"
• [break for illustrations]
• "Godfrey Reggio: Life Out of Balance"
• "Paul Theroux: Climbing Parnassus" 
• "Norman Mailer: In the Middle of His Journey"
• "Jack Abbott: Lost and Convicted"
• "William Styron: Points on the Compass"
• "E. L. Doctorow: Inside Straight"
• "Ben Hecht: The Paradox"
• "Alistair Cooke: Writing for Listeners"
• "Garson Kanin: Scribble, Scribble"
• Illustrations:
• Carl Weissner: "Nelson Algren and Jan Herman in New York" (photograph, 1979)
• Udo Breger: "Carl Weissner and Herman in Basel, Switzerland" (photograph, 1980)
• Jan Herman: photographs of Nelson Algren's Sag Harbor, NY, home, in 1981 and 2014
• Jan Herman's 6-year-old daughter: drawing, framed and displayed by Nelson Algren
• Nelson Algren: signed and inscribed books
• unstated: "flyer for a memorial celebration [for Nelson Algren] organized by Studs Terkel at Chicago's Second City theater, later broadcast on WBEZ radio"
• image of Stephen Deutsch, photographer (d.1997)
• image of Studs Terkel (d.2008)
• Roswitha Hecke: "Algren in Sag Harbor in the summer of 1980" (photograph)
• unstated: "Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Jan Herman at the City Lights packaging storefront and editorial office, 1562 Grant Avenue, San Francisco" (photograph, 1968)
• uncredited photographs of Gail Dusenberry, Norman Ogue Mustill, and Dick Higgins
• unstated: "Jan Herman clerking at the City Lights bookstore, 261 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco" (photograph, 1966)
• unstated: "Claude Pélieu, Liam O'Gallagher, Herman" (photograph, 1968)
• unstated: "Mary Beach and Ferlinghetti" (photograph, 1968)
• unstated: "O'Gallagher, Beach, Shig Murao, Pélieu at 1562 Grant Avenue" (photograph, 1968)
• Mary Beach: works from The San Francisco Earthquake
• Jan Herman: "Carl Weissner at his East 6th Street tenement flat on the Lower East Side, New York City" (photograph, 1968)
• unstated: "Jan Herman at the City Lights editorial office with the third issue of The San Francisco EARTHQUAKE" (photograph, 1968)
• covers of The San Francisco EARTHQUAKE
• The cover of The San Francisco EARTHQUAKE #5, with "VDRSVP" broadsheets, 1969
• Norman O Mustill: collage, from The San Francisco EARTHQUAKE #3, 1968
• Still of William S. Burroughs from a Burroughs/Balch/Herman experimental video
• Label for the video noted above
• Gerard Bellart: "Burroughs Possessed" (drawing)
• William S. Burroughs' The Dead Star, as Nove Broadcast #5
• Nova Broadcast Press titles
• Carl Weissner's The Braille Film, 1970
• Norman O. Mustill: "Here's Lookin' at You" (collage from TWINPAK, 1969)
• VDRSVP broadsides
• William S. Burroughs' "Word Authority More Habit Forming Than Heroin" (typescript, 1967)
• Jan Herman: "Emmet Williams 'writing' in West Glover, Vermont" (photograph, 1975)
• Frontispiece and title page of Brion Gysin's Brion Gysin Let the Mice In
• Partial of Wolf Vostell dé-coll/age on front dust jacket of CUT UP OR SHUT UP, 1972
• Wolf Vostell: letter to Jan Herman, 1972
• Jan Herman: "Allen Ginsberg at his cottage in Boulder, Colorado" (photograph, 1979)
• Allen Ginsberg: note to Jan Herman
• Aaron Shulman and Jan Herman: "Afterword" [interview]
• Notes
• About the Author 

2018 Edition Contents: 

• Paul Buhle: foreword
• Preface
• Portraits & Sketches:
• "Nelson Algren: Ticket to New Jersey"
• "A Self-Portrait: My Adventures in Fugitive Literature"
• "William S. Burroughs: Incidental Intelligence"
• "Herbert Huncke: Triple Threat"
• "Allen Ginsberg: Way Out West"
• "Jack Kerouac: Bottoms Up"
• "Abbie Hoffman: Standup Activist"
• [break for illustrations]
• "Godfrey Reggio: Life Out of Balance"
• "Paul Theroux: Climbing Parnassus" 
• "Norman Mailer: In the Middle of His Journey"
• "Jack Abbott: Lost and Convicted"
• "William Styron: Points on the Compass"
• "E. L. Doctorow: Inside Straight"
• "Ben Hecht: The Paradox"
• "Alistair Cooke: Writing for Listeners"
• "Garson Kanin: Scribble, Scribble"
• Illustrations
• detail of VDRSVP #1, "Go Ago" by Norman Ogue Mustill
• detail of collage, General Municipal Election, 1969
• Carl Weissner: "Nelson Algren and Jan Herman in New York" (photograph, 1979)
• Udo Breger: "Carl Weissner and Herman in Basel, Switzerland" (photograph, 1980)
• Jan Herman's 6-year-old daughter: drawing, framed and displayed by Nelson Algren
• Jan Herman: photographs of Nelson Algren's Sag Harbor, NY, home, in 1981 and 2014
• Nelson Algren: signed and inscribed books
• unstated: "flyer for a memorial celebration [for Nelson Algren] organized by Studs Terkel at Chicago's Second City theater, later broadcast on WBEZ radio"
• image of Stephen Deutsch, photographer (d.1997)
• image of Studs Terkel (d.2008)
• Roswitha Hecke: "Algren in Sag Harbor in the summer of 1980" (photograph)
• unstated: "Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Jan Herman at the City Lights packaging storefront and editorial office, 1562 Grant Avenue, San Francisco" (photograph, 1968)
• uncredited photographs of Gail Dusenberry, Norman Ogue Mustill, and Dick Higgins
• unstated: "Mary Beach and Ferlinghetti" (photograph, 1968)
• Mary Beach: work from The San Francisco Earthquake
• unstated: "Claude Pélieu, Liam O'Gallagher, Herman" (photograph, 1968)
• unstated: "O'Gallagher, Beach, Shig Murao, Pélieu at 1562 Grant Avenue" (photograph, 1968)
• unstated: "Jan Herman clerking at the City Lights bookstore, 261 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco" (photograph, 1966)
• Jan Herman: "Carl Weissner at his East 6th Street tenement flat on the Lower East Side, New York City" (photograph, 1968)
• Mary Beach: work from The San Francisco Earthquake
• unstated: "Jan Herman at the City Lights editorial office with the third issue of The San Francisco EARTHQUAKE" (photograph, 1968)
• cover of The San Francisco EARTHQUAKE #3
• The cover of The San Francisco EARTHQUAKE #5, with "VDRSVP" broadsheets, 1969
• Norman O Mustill: collage, from The San Francisco EARTHQUAKE #3, 1968
• cover of The San Francisco EARTHQUAKE #1
• Philip Corner's The Identical Lunch, 1973
• Stills of William S. Burroughs from a Burroughs/Balch/Herman experimental video
• Label for the video noted above
• William S. Burroughs' The Dead Star, as Nove Broadcast #5
• Norman O. Mustill: "Here's Lookin' at You" (collage from TWINPAK, 1969)
• Ferdinand Kriwet's PUBLIT, 1971
• Carl Weissner's The Braille Film, 1970
• VDRSVP broadsides
• William S. Burroughs' "Word Authority More Habit Forming Than Heroin" (typescript, 1967)
• Frontispiece and title page of Brion Gysin's Brion Gysin Let the Mice In
• Jan Herman: "Emmet Williams 'writing' in West Glover, Vermont" (photograph, 1975)
• Wolf Vostell: letter to Jan Herman, 1972
• Jan Herman: "Allen Ginsberg at his cottage in Boulder, Colorado" (photograph, 1979)
• Allen Ginsberg: note to Jan Herman
• detail of VDRSVP #1, "Printout 1" by Norman Ogue Mustill
• Partial of Wolf Vostell dé-coll/age on front dust jacket of CUT UP OR SHUT UP, 1972