Published on the occasion of Richard Prince’s exhibition at Sadie Coles HQ in 2003, American English presents photographs of American and English First Editions in Prince’s rare book collection. Set up in considered stacks and shot against selections of his own work, these photographs offer a view of Prince’s particular preoccupations as a bibliophile, resonant with his preoccupations as an artist. In his introductory essay, “Bringing it All Back Home” with its tell-all subtitle, “A Day in the Life of a Book Collector Suggests That the Impulses Behind Collecting Are Part Obsession, Part Quest and Part Fantasy,” Prince candidly recounts his rounds to various used book stores an New York and L.A. and discusses the desires that drive him to collect.