The Bogey Man, Singed Presentation from George Plimpton to Aileen "Suzy" Mehle
[Signed Presentation to Aileen Mehle] Plimpton, George. The Bogey Man. First Edition. 1967. Book and dust jacket are both in very good condition. Book is warmly inscribed to the gossip columnist known as “Suzy,” “For Aileen, who will find herself in an unfamiliar role starting on page 248. With warmest regards … George.” Laid in is a letter from Plimpton to Mehle on Paris Review stationery.
This book lends support to Plimpton’s famous aphorism, “The smaller the ball used in the sport, the better the book.” The subject is the month Plimpton spent embedded as a professional golfer on the PGA Tour, including pro-am events at Bing Crosby’s Pebble Beach tournament and the Bob Hope Classic in Palm Springs. His commentary ranges from the humorous to the spiritual, with emphasis on the psychological aspects of the game. His reference to Aileen Mehle on page 248 is under her gossip column name, “Suzy Knickerbocker,” and the context is that Plimpton names the golf balls he hits for various columnists, including her.
“I see myself as a monstrous, manned colossus poised high over the golf ball, a spheroid that is barely discernible 14 stories down on its tee.”
--George Plimpton