Neglected Books
@neglectedbooks.com
Brad Bigelow, Missoula, MT
bradbigelow.com
Author, Virginia Faulkner: A Life in Two Acts
Editor, Recovered Books series @ Boiler House Press:
www.boilerhouse.press/recovered-books
Editor, neglectedbooks.com. Champion of reading off the beaten path.
bradbigelow.com
Author, Virginia Faulkner: A Life in Two Acts
Editor, Recovered Books series @ Boiler House Press:
www.boilerhouse.press/recovered-books
Editor, neglectedbooks.com. Champion of reading off the beaten path.
Random cover from the TBR pile:
Before the Storm by Theodor Fontane (tr. 1985)
Subtitled A Novel of the Winter 1812-13, this was Fontane's first novel and has been compared, for obvious reasons, to War and Peace. 700+ pages.
Before the Storm by Theodor Fontane (tr. 1985)
Subtitled A Novel of the Winter 1812-13, this was Fontane's first novel and has been compared, for obvious reasons, to War and Peace. 700+ pages.
January 19, 2026 at 9:00 PM
Random cover from the TBR pile:
Before the Storm by Theodor Fontane (tr. 1985)
Subtitled A Novel of the Winter 1812-13, this was Fontane's first novel and has been compared, for obvious reasons, to War and Peace. 700+ pages.
Before the Storm by Theodor Fontane (tr. 1985)
Subtitled A Novel of the Winter 1812-13, this was Fontane's first novel and has been compared, for obvious reasons, to War and Peace. 700+ pages.
Lillian Roth was among the relatively few early talkie performers who had charisma that leaps off the screen. I'm always happy to see her name in the credits. Here she is--probably told to stay within an 18" box on the floor--giving her all to the Fleischer singalong "Ain't She Sweet" (1933).
January 19, 2026 at 7:01 PM
Lillian Roth was among the relatively few early talkie performers who had charisma that leaps off the screen. I'm always happy to see her name in the credits. Here she is--probably told to stay within an 18" box on the floor--giving her all to the Fleischer singalong "Ain't She Sweet" (1933).
16 years ago, I posted an article on a long-forgotten memoir by Paul Cohen-Portheim called Time Stood Still: My Internment in England 1914-1918. In 2023, I helped get it back in print from @bhousepress.bsky.social. Sadly, its tale of detention life is even more relevant now.
neglectedbooks.com/?...
neglectedbooks.com/?...
January 19, 2026 at 2:00 PM
16 years ago, I posted an article on a long-forgotten memoir by Paul Cohen-Portheim called Time Stood Still: My Internment in England 1914-1918. In 2023, I helped get it back in print from @bhousepress.bsky.social. Sadly, its tale of detention life is even more relevant now.
neglectedbooks.com/?...
neglectedbooks.com/?...
An author really committed to his book's success should be willing to change his name to suit his book.
January 18, 2026 at 9:00 PM
An author really committed to his book's success should be willing to change his name to suit his book.
The Boswell Sisters, from The Big Broadcast (1932). I've probably been vaguely aware of the Boswell Sisters for most of my life, but never focused on their actual work. Wowser. These ladies were fierce. Their singles from the 1930s are some of the best jazz tracks of the era.
January 18, 2026 at 7:01 PM
The Boswell Sisters, from The Big Broadcast (1932). I've probably been vaguely aware of the Boswell Sisters for most of my life, but never focused on their actual work. Wowser. These ladies were fierce. Their singles from the 1930s are some of the best jazz tracks of the era.
What makes a book neglected? Back in 2009, I tried to answer that question. The bitter truth is that most books are destined to be forgotten. That doesn't mean, though, that it's not worth looking for the ones that are *unjustly* forgotten.
neglectedbooks.com/?...
neglectedbooks.com/?...
January 18, 2026 at 2:00 PM
What makes a book neglected? Back in 2009, I tried to answer that question. The bitter truth is that most books are destined to be forgotten. That doesn't mean, though, that it's not worth looking for the ones that are *unjustly* forgotten.
neglectedbooks.com/?...
neglectedbooks.com/?...
"Those rich dykes": a rabbit hole I had to omit from my Virginia Faulkner biography (thread)
In 1974, the composer Dana Suesse wrote Virginia, her former partner, raising money for a Carnegie Hall concert of her own compositions. "Try a few of those rich dykes that used to abound," she replied.
1/15
In 1974, the composer Dana Suesse wrote Virginia, her former partner, raising money for a Carnegie Hall concert of her own compositions. "Try a few of those rich dykes that used to abound," she replied.
1/15
January 17, 2026 at 10:04 PM
"Those rich dykes": a rabbit hole I had to omit from my Virginia Faulkner biography (thread)
In 1974, the composer Dana Suesse wrote Virginia, her former partner, raising money for a Carnegie Hall concert of her own compositions. "Try a few of those rich dykes that used to abound," she replied.
1/15
In 1974, the composer Dana Suesse wrote Virginia, her former partner, raising money for a Carnegie Hall concert of her own compositions. "Try a few of those rich dykes that used to abound," she replied.
1/15
I've heard Cab Calloway do "Minnie the Moocher" plenty of times, but until I watched The Big Broadcast (1932), I never knew just how MUCH the song has to do with cocaine addiction.
January 17, 2026 at 7:00 PM
I've heard Cab Calloway do "Minnie the Moocher" plenty of times, but until I watched The Big Broadcast (1932), I never knew just how MUCH the song has to do with cocaine addiction.
“Samuel Smith was the best part of thirty before anyone told him he was a wage-slave.” Gertrude Trevelyan's Theme with Variations (1937) is her angriest, most experimental novel, three disconnected tales of people trapped by family, economics, social constraints.
neglectedbooks.com/?...
neglectedbooks.com/?...
January 17, 2026 at 2:00 PM
“Samuel Smith was the best part of thirty before anyone told him he was a wage-slave.” Gertrude Trevelyan's Theme with Variations (1937) is her angriest, most experimental novel, three disconnected tales of people trapped by family, economics, social constraints.
neglectedbooks.com/?...
neglectedbooks.com/?...
Courtesy of Peter Mintun, a brilliant take on Warner Brother's opening cast credits that features just about every performer who crossed a WB soundstage in the Pre-Code days.
THREE ON A SNATCH (2007)
YouTube video by Peter Mintun
youtu.be
January 16, 2026 at 10:37 PM
Courtesy of Peter Mintun, a brilliant take on Warner Brother's opening cast credits that features just about every performer who crossed a WB soundstage in the Pre-Code days.
Billie Burke and Robert Montgomery encounter the geographic and linguistic wonders of Switzerland. From Bridal Suite (1939), also starring Annabella: the only film Virginia Faulkner got a credit (story) on. And yes, little Toto is the young Robert Blake.
January 16, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Billie Burke and Robert Montgomery encounter the geographic and linguistic wonders of Switzerland. From Bridal Suite (1939), also starring Annabella: the only film Virginia Faulkner got a credit (story) on. And yes, little Toto is the young Robert Blake.
I was pleased to see recently that novelist/critic David Madden is still active on social media at age 92. The two collections of essays by novelists on their favorite neglected works of fiction—Rediscoveries (1971) and Rediscoveries II (1988)—are what led me to become obsessed with neglected books.
January 16, 2026 at 2:00 PM
I was pleased to see recently that novelist/critic David Madden is still active on social media at age 92. The two collections of essays by novelists on their favorite neglected works of fiction—Rediscoveries (1971) and Rediscoveries II (1988)—are what led me to become obsessed with neglected books.
The video of today's virtual launch of my book, Virginia Faulkner: A Life in Two Acts, with special guests Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Debby Applegate and author Will Fellows, is now available on YouTube.
Virginia Faulkner: A Life in Two Acts, by Brad Bigelow - Virtual Launch
The virtual launch of Virginia Faulkner: A Life in Two Acts, by Brad Bigelow, a biography of Virginia Faulkner, the writer renowned for her wise-cracking wit who restarted her life at the age of 42 and became one of the most respected editors in publishing, helping build the University of Nebraska P
www.youtube.com
January 15, 2026 at 11:54 PM
The video of today's virtual launch of my book, Virginia Faulkner: A Life in Two Acts, with special guests Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Debby Applegate and author Will Fellows, is now available on YouTube.
Q: Who did Ford Madox Ford consider the greatest living French writer in 1938?
Read on if you were stumped like me.
Read on if you were stumped like me.
January 15, 2026 at 9:00 PM
Q: Who did Ford Madox Ford consider the greatest living French writer in 1938?
Read on if you were stumped like me.
Read on if you were stumped like me.
A nice review of Makeshift by Sarah Campion, the latest Recovered Book from @bhousepress.bsky.social. "Having read a lot about German Jews in the 1920s and 30s I found Makeshift thoroughly compelling and plausible, including its first-person voice."
Also—a plug for Miklos Banffy's trilogy (Yay!)
Also—a plug for Miklos Banffy's trilogy (Yay!)
January 15, 2026 at 8:34 PM
A nice review of Makeshift by Sarah Campion, the latest Recovered Book from @bhousepress.bsky.social. "Having read a lot about German Jews in the 1920s and 30s I found Makeshift thoroughly compelling and plausible, including its first-person voice."
Also—a plug for Miklos Banffy's trilogy (Yay!)
Also—a plug for Miklos Banffy's trilogy (Yay!)
Maurice Chevalier offers Frank Lyon a lesson in the French art of making love. From The Big Pond (1930), in which Chevalier plays his oddest role ever: chewing gum executive.
January 15, 2026 at 7:01 PM
Maurice Chevalier offers Frank Lyon a lesson in the French art of making love. From The Big Pond (1930), in which Chevalier plays his oddest role ever: chewing gum executive.
Back in 2023, I wrote about The Woman's Harvest by Anna Floyd (1916), an early anti-WWI novel most notable for its jaw-dropping plot twists, including bodies hanging from lampposts in Whitehall and ... polyamory?
neglectedbooks.com/?...
neglectedbooks.com/?...
January 15, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Back in 2023, I wrote about The Woman's Harvest by Anna Floyd (1916), an early anti-WWI novel most notable for its jaw-dropping plot twists, including bodies hanging from lampposts in Whitehall and ... polyamory?
neglectedbooks.com/?...
neglectedbooks.com/?...
The dedication from Hodgepodge: a Commonplace Book, by J. Bryan III (1986)
January 14, 2026 at 9:00 PM
The dedication from Hodgepodge: a Commonplace Book, by J. Bryan III (1986)
"Why is this guy yelling at me?" the poor tattoo artist must be wondering in this scene of The Cuban Love Song (1931), starring baritone Lawrence Tibbett. Tibbett's grand voice is orders of magnitude out of place in much of this movie and only fiery Lupe Velez manages not to be blown away by it.
January 14, 2026 at 7:00 PM
"Why is this guy yelling at me?" the poor tattoo artist must be wondering in this scene of The Cuban Love Song (1931), starring baritone Lawrence Tibbett. Tibbett's grand voice is orders of magnitude out of place in much of this movie and only fiery Lupe Velez manages not to be blown away by it.
It seems that a new curse upon published authors is the onslaught of book marketing...marketing. But as my website is mostly about books by dead authors, I must say that some of these emails are quite amusing.
January 14, 2026 at 4:09 PM
It seems that a new curse upon published authors is the onslaught of book marketing...marketing. But as my website is mostly about books by dead authors, I must say that some of these emails are quite amusing.
Join me, Will Fellows, and Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Debby Applegate tomorrow for the virtual launch of Virginia Faulkner: A Life in Two Acts.
January 15, 7-9PM GMT/2-3PM EST
Register on Eventbrite and receive a code for a 40% discount on the book.
January 15, 7-9PM GMT/2-3PM EST
Register on Eventbrite and receive a code for a 40% discount on the book.
Virginia Faulkner: A Life in Two Acts - Virtual Book Launch
Join Brad Bigelow, Pulitzer Prize winner Debby Applegate, and Will Fellows to launch the first biography of the remarkable Virginia Faulkner
www.eventbrite.com
January 14, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Join me, Will Fellows, and Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Debby Applegate tomorrow for the virtual launch of Virginia Faulkner: A Life in Two Acts.
January 15, 7-9PM GMT/2-3PM EST
Register on Eventbrite and receive a code for a 40% discount on the book.
January 15, 7-9PM GMT/2-3PM EST
Register on Eventbrite and receive a code for a 40% discount on the book.
On this date in 2022, I wrote about the mysterious novelist Jessamy Morrison, whose novels about people meeting at the intersections of sexual identities were considered daring back in the 1960s.
neglectedbooks.com/?...
neglectedbooks.com/?...
January 14, 2026 at 2:00 PM
On this date in 2022, I wrote about the mysterious novelist Jessamy Morrison, whose novels about people meeting at the intersections of sexual identities were considered daring back in the 1960s.
neglectedbooks.com/?...
neglectedbooks.com/?...
Bandleader Lawrence Welk in his child-eating days.
January 13, 2026 at 9:00 PM
Bandleader Lawrence Welk in his child-eating days.
"You are NOT pleased to meet me! You come from the small capitalistic world!"
The great Robert Barrat as the iconoclastic Russian agitator Romanoff, butting heads with "billy goat" Eugene Pallette. From the fun comedy Friends of Mr. Sweeney (1934), starring Charlie Ruggles and Ann Dvorak.
The great Robert Barrat as the iconoclastic Russian agitator Romanoff, butting heads with "billy goat" Eugene Pallette. From the fun comedy Friends of Mr. Sweeney (1934), starring Charlie Ruggles and Ann Dvorak.
January 13, 2026 at 7:00 PM
"You are NOT pleased to meet me! You come from the small capitalistic world!"
The great Robert Barrat as the iconoclastic Russian agitator Romanoff, butting heads with "billy goat" Eugene Pallette. From the fun comedy Friends of Mr. Sweeney (1934), starring Charlie Ruggles and Ann Dvorak.
The great Robert Barrat as the iconoclastic Russian agitator Romanoff, butting heads with "billy goat" Eugene Pallette. From the fun comedy Friends of Mr. Sweeney (1934), starring Charlie Ruggles and Ann Dvorak.
I started haunting bookstores around 1973, when I bought books with lawn mowing money, so I concentrated on the paperback section. And back in the days before trade paperbacks, I was well served.
Here are a few examples I've been toting around for over 50 years.
Here are a few examples I've been toting around for over 50 years.
January 13, 2026 at 4:55 PM
I started haunting bookstores around 1973, when I bought books with lawn mowing money, so I concentrated on the paperback section. And back in the days before trade paperbacks, I was well served.
Here are a few examples I've been toting around for over 50 years.
Here are a few examples I've been toting around for over 50 years.