Key West, 1940: Photographs of "Ye Old Square Roof" brothel and of Elizabeth Bishop on its porch, by James Laughlin; photo of Laughlin on the porch, by either Tennessee Williams or Elizabeth Bishop; found in the "B" file, under "Bishop."

A killer treasure chest, the book is crammed with oddball memorabilia and fantastic yarns—Laughlin receiving a cabin cruiser as a gift from his steel-magnate father when he was 14; visiting a brothel in Key West with Elizabeth Bishop; golfing with Robert Fitzgerald and chatting about Homer in the fairways; admiring W.H. Auden "doing take-offs on local characters in Trioler" while waiting for a train to Vienna.

All photos, except for the Lustig covers, are from the collection of James Laughlin. Copyright 2006 by the Estate of James Laughlin and reproduced courtesy of New Directions Publishing Corporation.