He had been a book collector since the age of twenty, eventually amassing a collection of D. H. Lawrence first editions, which he sold to UC Santa Barbara for $50,000 to fund the founding of Black Sparrow Press.
From the age of twenty, he dedicated himself to collecting books, particularly first editions of D.H. Lawrence works. He then sold his collection to UC Santa Barbara for $50,000 to support the creation of Black Sparrow Press.