This year marks the 50th anniversary of Jim Morrison’s death on July 3rd 1971.
Commemorating the occasion, publisher HarperCollins have just announced the Collected Works of Jim Morrison: Poetry, Journals, Transcripts and Lyrics, set for release on June 8. It will be the most extensive collection of works by the late Doors’ frontman published to date.
The massive 600-page book … compiled with the help and blessing of his estate … features an incredible amount of previously unpublished material, including excerpts from Morrison’s 28 private, recently-discovered-never-before-seen notebooks, including the Paris notebook, believed to contain Morrison’s final writings “reproduced in full reading size”; unrecorded song lyrics and poetry, “Horse Latitudes,” “The Celebration of the Lizard”; and 160 photos and drawings (including rarely seen family photos).
Other highlights from the treasure trove of material include Morrison’s treatment for The Hitchhiker, in which he portrayed a dangerous drifter; the entire previously published posthumous writing collection, Wilderness and The American Night; and an accompanying audiobook featuring the previously unreleased recording of Morrison’s final poetry recording session, held in L.A. studio on his 27th birthday, December 8th 1970.
The book’s foreword was penned by author and longtime Doors fan, Tom Robbins, while Morrison’s sister Anne Morrison Chewning wrote the prologue and Morrison’s longtime friend and collaborator, filmmaker Frank Lisciandro, contributed notes.
Executive editor, Elizabeth Sullivan said: “Jim Morrison is an enduring, influential force in the world of entertainment as well as one of the most notable poets of his generation. ‘The Collected Works of Jim Morrison’ is a highly curated anthology of his prodigious creative output. This is an exceptional collection we’re thrilled and honored to publish in conjunction with Jim’s family, Jennifer Gates at Aevitas, and the incredible support of JAM, Inc., the estate’s manager, who gave us unprecedented access to the Morrison archives.”
As Rolling Stone notes, in a 1969 interview with the publication, when he was asked, “Do you see yourself going more toward print?” Morrison replied, “That’s my greatest hope. That’s always been my dream.”
Now, 50 years later, it seems that that dream is finally coming true.
Collected Works of Jim Morrison: Poetry, Journals, Transcripts and Lyrics is out June 8th. Pre-order it, here.
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