Coconut Oil. June Triplett's Amazing Book Out of Darkest Africa! by Ford, Corey - 1931

New York: Brewer, Warren & Putnam, 1931. Green cloth boards, orange-stamped cover and spine. Very Good/No Dust Jacket. As told to Corey Ford, author of ""Saltwater Taffy"" with 36 Unbelievable Illustrations. 217 pages. Mock photos featuring 1930s personalities, including one of Amelia Earhart on a high-wheeled bicycle. Spine darkened, ends frayed. SIGNED and INSCRIBED on 1/2 title in black ink ""To Sumner Blossom - for perfect attendance in Sunday School - Corey Ford - August 1931."" Sumner Blossom, 1892-1977, was a radio talk show host in the 30s (""Interesting People in the News"") but was best known as editor of The American Magazine from 1929 through 1956. The magazine published short stories by outstanding writers of the day as well as muckraking articles on social issues. Blossom was a ""wonderful, well-respected man"" who wore his hats ""with more distinction than most men."" Corey Ford, 1902-1969, was a humorist, author, screen writer, and world traveler who was friendly with the Algonquin Round Table circle of writers. In 1931, he was sharing an apartment (known as the ""Cloister on the Half Shell"") in New York with fellow humorist Frank Sullivan, and their ""Sunday afternoon forums"" featured Prohibition-era liquor. Other Round Table activities included Alexander Woollcott's Sunday morning breakfast parties (1930ff) at his East River apartment, dubbed ""Wit's End"" by Dorothy Parker. Either of these gatherings could be what Ford refers to facetiously as ""Sunday school"" in the inscription, or he could simply be echoing a common turn-of-the-century practice in which teachers presented pupils with books as rewards for attendance or achievement.