Rare Book Chat

About Rare Book Chat

Dive deep into the fascinating world of rare books with Rare Book Chat. Hosted by Michael DiRuggiero and Jeremy O'Connor, the co-founders of The Manhattan Rare Book Company, this podcast explores the unique and often valuable items that fill the world of rare books, manuscripts, letters, photographs, archives, and more. From historical documents to literary first editions, we'll discuss the stories behind these one-of-a-kind treasures. Join us as we explore the intricacies of the rare book trade and discover the hidden gems that await.

Publisher

Jeremy O'Connor and Michael DiRuggiero

Category

arts · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

28 Sept 2024

Latest episode

12 Jun 2026

Latest episodes

28 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   12 Jun 2026

   Are Prices Real?

   Bonhams Auctions dedicated a sale this week to a "curated selection" of items owned by the great Diane Keaton and one item in particular caught the eyes of Jeremy and Michael. Her own copy of the Annie Hall script? Pretty cool, we thought. But how much is it worth? We had our own guesses, but (at least) two bidders had very different ideas. All of which led to the big question: What do prices really mean in our wonderful world of rare books and manuscripts? We'd love to hear your thoughts! As always, please direct any questions or comments to hello@rarebookchat.com Enjoy the show!

2. 

   15 May 2026

   Vera, What Has Become of You?

   Jeremy discovers great letters at auction by David Hockney, Jasper Johns, Francis Bacon, and Henry Moore, but ends up learning more about the recipient of all the letters, Vera Russell, than about the writers of the letters. So many great artists wrote to her with profound admiration and respect. What does that say about her? Who was this Vera Russell, who seemed to be at the nexus of the 20th-century art world? And now that the collection has been dispersed, what have we lost? Can we put Humpty Dumpty back together again? As usual, please feel free to reach out to us at: hello@rarebookchat.com Enjoy the show!

3. 

   15 Apr 2026

   Gregory Corso's Funny Forgeries

   Ah, the hi-jinks of Gregory Corso! This New York Tale has everything: stealing from friends, mob bosses, broken record collections, Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs (sort of), and what must have been the great charm of the Beat poet Gregory Corso. All of this leads to some (semi-) profound questions on authenticity in the book world. If you have a Corso tale, we'd love to hear it! Drop us a note at: hello@rarebookchat.com Enjoy the show!

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

429

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

22 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 54 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

62

Social presence

0

YouTube

66

Engagement

51

Contact Rare Book Chat

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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  Quite right!