The Day of the Locust, Nathanael West, 1950

**Who wrote it**
The Day of the Locust was written by Nathanael West and published by New Directions in 1950, with an introduction by Richard B. Gehman. The novel was first published in 1939, the same year West died in a car accident at age thirty-seven. The book design is by Maurice Serle Kaplan.

**What it's about**
A Hollywood novel, but not a glamorous one. West's Los Angeles is filled with people who came for a dream and found something else entirely, and the book builds toward a disturbing ending.

**Special features**
The dust jacket is a striking piece of mid-century graphic design: the title spelled out in a swarm of dots against an orange ground, with a minimal illustration that perfectly captures the book's brittle energy.

**Why I like it**
Fun fact: Homer Simpson from The Simpsons was named after a character in this novel.

**Condition**
Green cloth hardcover with dust jacket present. Jacket shows fading to spine and a library label. Boards clean and binding sound. Please review all photos carefully, and email me with any questions.

Thanks so much for visiting,
❤️ Jess