Abe Books This doodle-signature by New Journalism pioneer Gay Talese was signed not long after his bestselling dive into the world of a New York mafia family, Honor Thy Father , came out in 1971.

Below, I've curated a small selection of wonderful visual self-portraits by famous authors—from scribbles to full-on oil paintings, from cheeky one-offs to serious painterly studies.

The typewriter, unlike computers, is a highly personal device. Its usage is visceral, an analog synthesis of creative thought to paper, leaving a bit of the author's essence behind in the process ...

Illustrator and author Tony Millionaire takes us through the stories behind capturing the essence of creative stars (past and present) in his new book, 500 Portraits.