Weird: I have Timothy Leary's signature

[elfs]

Saturday afternoon I took the girls to a number of places, including the bookstore. I go to Half Price mostly to get rid of books: my shelves overfloweth and my ebook collection has an alarming one billion words in it. While they were looking through the small collection, I browsed the shelves. I looked up and noticed a buzz of excitement running through the people at the counter. One of the books I had brought was Timothy Leary's The Intelligence Agents, and I had forgotten that it was signed. They offered me $20 for it, but I took it back. I think I'll keep it.

I'd forgotten that I'd met Tim in 1992, back when he and G. Gordon Liddy had this philosophical roadshow going. It was fascinating stuff, although it wasn't really a "debate," but more like watching two different one-man shows side-by-side. Liddy was very much about being in the real world and understanding just how untrustworthy your own nervous system could be; Leary's monologue was about the ways one could monkey with that nervous system and his open-ended fear that Coporations would find a way to into your brain by direct alteration someday. Maybe they will.

Still, it's neat to have his signature. Too bad the book's in terrible shape. It was when he signed it, though.

Comments

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

Woot. The G-man and Uncle Timmy... I'd have LOVED to see that show. *And* got the autograph... way too cool.

And, yeah. I'd pay $40 for that book in a heartbeat.

[slfisher.livejournal.com]

I have a copy of Steal this Book with Abbie Hoffman's signature in it.