Published by Charnel House.

The stories in this collection were written in public. The lion’s share were written in bookstore windows—hence the title. One was written at a party, two at conventions, and one is a story he started at the Golden China restaurant and finished in the window of Change of Hobbit bookstore. Harlan wrote in public because he wanted people to see that writing was no joke—it was work. Often he would ask for what he called a “kick-start,” a line or a idea from the live audience that gathered in and outside the bookstores. He had no tricks up his sleeve, just a point to make and a story to write, and he would tape the pages on the window so the crowd outside could read each page as he wrote it.

This is the very first printing of these stories in their in-window versions—the words Harlan wrote while performing the writing live—which he later tinkered with before they went into separate collections. This is also the first time these stories are collected in the edition that Harlan envisioned and tried for years to have published.

Harlan told Charnel House that he wanted a picture of himself writing in a bookstore window inlaid in the front board and covered with glass. Photographer, Rod Searcey, was at The Booksmith in San Fransisco on May 14, 1994 where Robin Williams handed Harlan an envelope with his “kick start” for the story, which became “Keyboard”. Rod shot the day of writing and his pictures illustrate this book. We have picked out a shot of Harlan writing for the inlay on the 100 numbered copies, as well as 26 individual shots, a different one for each copy of the lettered edition, each to be printed as original silver gel prints and mounted above Harlan’s signature.

100 Signed Numbered Copies, of which only 80 are for sale. Handbound in black Japanese silk with a silver gel print of Harlan, as well as Harlan’s handwritten signature, imbedded deep within the front board under a window of UV glass. Housed in a handmade traycase bound in Japanese silk.

250 Unsigned/Numbered Copies: Handbound in handmade Cave Paper imbedded with glass-like mica chips, with an inlaid label on the front board.

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