My friend Neil has lent me a book that will bear some much-needed Runner-Up fruit in the next little while. Banvard’s Folly, written by Paul Collins, is subtitled “Thirteen Tales of People Who Didn’t Change the World” (actually, that’s the paperback. The hardcover’s subtitle was “Tales of Renowned Obscurity, Famous Anonymity, and Rotten Luck.” I like them both). Collins has dug around in some very obscure archives to bring us stories about people who were spectacularly rich or famous in their time, only to fade into oblivion. Perfect fodder for this site.

Even better, Paul Collins has contributed to an upcoming book edited by my good friend Kevin Smokler and Kevin has graciously offered to put me in touch with him. So maybe after featuring a few stories from the book, I’ll post an interview or something with Paul. Stay tuned!