Weird 60s Literature Ephemera!

Collector's Weekly highlighted an epic collection of counter-culture literature this week. Boasting practically every signed, first edition of a Beat book you could think of (Howl, On the Road, Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test signed by almost every character in the pages). Rick Synchef has apparently been collecting since he went to UoMadison, WI in the 1960s (allegedly the coolest place to be in the midwest in '68). He has lots of really neat books. Very expensive artifacts of American literary history. I bet some university librarian will really enjoy acquiring these.

But for me, it's all about the ephemera.

Like, this delightful bottle of methadone proscribed to William S. Burroughs. I wonder if he got it with a phony script or if he just bribed the doctor. ound the bottle there was no opiates in it. Burroughs probably them all. So instead, Synchef filled them it with gravel from the author's grave. Sounds like a pretty powerful totem. Awesome.

He also has a shell from Burroughs' shotgun, but I suspect those were a dime a dozen. Not like this check Jack Kerouac sent to the IRS in 1963! I wonder why he owned $300? Great signature.

Somebody saw Bukowski at the race track and asked him to sign their pamphlet. Didn't Chuck write a poem about fans who'd come up and ask for autographs? Seems like he didn't mind, looks like there's even a doodle!

There's also has a super-small pressed book (100 copies) with a an even better doodle!

Finally, here's a really great Ken Kesey autograph with a really weird sentence.

It's the truth even if we dig deeper in the odor

Thanks BoingBoing.