Since the release of John Grisham’s latest novel, The Litigators, I remembered that Grisham readers and collectors often look to fill in any gaps in their Grisham collections. So, I thought about doing a display where all of Grisham’s books would be together, a place where it would be easy to see the year of each book. So this display was born and I am quite pleased with it as it illustrates the diligence and discipline of John Grisham.

So I dug further into the First Editions room and found this interesting piece of Grisham memorabilia. In 1994, The University of Mississippi Libraries held an exhibition focusing on three aspects of Grisham’s career: The first novel, A Time to Kill; the international reception of John Grisham’s novels; and the translation of novel into film (a script and other materials used in the filming of “The Firm” were on display). The guide, pictured below, written to accompany the exhibition, includes a Foreword by Richard Howorth, A Memoir by Willie Morris, An Essay by Anne Rapp, and An Afterword by John Grisham. This copy is signed by John Grisham and is one out of 100.

I liked this passage in Grisham’s Afterword concerning the 1994 exhibition:

Presented here are papers and books that hold wonderful memories for me. The original handwritten manuscript for A Time to Kill is still impossible for me to look at without a twinge of emotion. Written on three stenographer pads, I carried this with me for three years as I diligently pursued my new, secret hobby. I wrote on these pads in the early morning hours at my office, often before the sun was up. I carried the story in my briefcase, and would sneak off to empty rooms and write while I waited for judges in the courthouses of Mississippi. I scribbled on these pads at the dining room table, long after Renee and the children were asleep. Many times I cursed the sight of these green pages, but for reasons I cannot fully articulate, I was always drawn back to them.

Grisham: An Exhibition (1994), Limited Edition Signed by John Grisham 1/100. $200.00

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