The Chris Moeller Archives

This particular book, while entertaining and informative, also came with a prize inside. The used book was signed by its previous owner, a "James Rambow," who wrote his name inside the front cover along with the date 5/16/77, roughly 34 years and 11 months from the day I re-purchased it. Then, inside the back cover, there was a yellowed and faded cutout of Jack Benny's obituary, published in the old Des Moines Tribune. That one's dated-- if you know your facts about Jack Benny-- December 27, 1974. The article is actually a reprint the following day of the Benny obituary published in another long-ago-folded paper, The Chicago Daily News. Jack Benny, born Benjamin Kubelsky in Chicago, was raised in the nearby city of Waukegan, Illinois, so the two page article has a decidedly Chicago angle to it.

Being that this is 2012 and that I'm a little peculiar, I searched for James Rambow's name on the internet and I'm 95% sure I've found my man. At least the pieces seem to fit. A James Rambow died June 17, 2010 in Indianola, Iowa, a city 18 miles south of Des Moines. An online posting by the funeral home has him dead at the age of 67, preceded in death only "by his parents," and there are no surviving family members listed. James is remembered as a retired librarian who "maintained an active interest in trains and a passion for books and film his entire life." By my estimation here, this James Rambow passed away and his collection of books was donated to the Planned Parenthood Book Drive.

Of course I didn't know James. And yet I like him. He was 34 years old when he signed his name inside his brand new Jack Benny book, one that today is considered the definitive text in regards to Benny's show business career and his long-running broadcast program. I'm 37, and Jack was-- forever-- 39. I've inscribed books to others, as gifts, but I don't sign my name inside my own like James does. I do, however, cut stories out of the paper, staple the pages together, and save them, often inside books. A Pauline Kael obit (from 2001) rests comfortably inside a Pauline Kael text I own, an autograph of Stephen Colbert (collected at a Howard Dean political event in 2003) lives today on a campaign flyer inside my copy of the Jon Stewart book "Naked Pictures of Famous People." Evidently, James did this same kind of thing. And also, he loved Jack Benny.