Pharos Editions brings back the old... with the new!

Pharos Editions, a new imprint from literary fiction publisher Dark Coast Press, is an idea that's been a long time coming. Venerable book-rep Harry Kirchner, now retired and taking on the role of Editor for Pharos Editions, had the idea long ago to ask contemporary media literati what books were important to them in some way, and to introduce them in a Foreword to their selection. With the addition of stylish but simple cover designs and high-quality papers, Harry hopes to expose a new generation of readers to "...overlooked gems, " as he puts it.

The first set of titles, which will release in May, will include selections by bestselling author Jonathan Evison, American Book Award winner Sherman Alexie, Edgar Award recipient Jess Walter and The Simpsons creator Matt Groening.

Groening's selection, You Play the Black and the Red Comes Up by Eric Knight (ISBN 9780988172500), was a bestselling noir fiction when it was first published in 1938. It's the first on my Pharos Editions reading list, to be followed in short order by the other three initial releases. What will your first Pharos Edition book be?