Bookstores became interested in carrying Ewing's novel, which allegedly had been
banned in Boston. When publisher
Ian Ballantine, novelist
Theodore Sturgeon, and Shepherd met for lunch, Ballantine hired Sturgeon to write a novel based on Shepherd's outline.
Betty Ballantine completed the final chapter after Sturgeon fell asleep, exhausted, on the Ballantines' couch, having tried to meet the deadline in one marathon typing session. On September 13, 1956,
Ballantine Books published
I, Libertine simultaneously in
hardcover and
paperback editions with Shepherd pictured as Ewing, looking as dissolute as possible, on the back cover author's photograph. The proceeds from book sales were donated to charity. A few weeks before publication,
The Wall Street Journal officially "exposed" the hoax, already an
open secret.
Plot I, Libertine tells the story of a social climber who styles himself as Lance Courtenay. Most of the plot is closely based on the life of
Elizabeth Chudleigh. An
afterword states that "The story of Elizabeth Chudleigh is substantially true ...", which could easily be taken as being part of the hoax, ironically.
Cover painting The front
cover displays a quote: Gadzooks,' quoth I, 'but here's a saucy bawd!. The
cover painting by
Frank Kelly Freas includes hidden images and
inside jokes: The sign on the tavern, Fish & Staff, has a
shepherd's staff and an image of a
sturgeon, referencing both Shepherd and Sturgeon. A portion of the word often spoken on the air by Shepherd – "Excelsior!" – can be seen on the paperback cover in a triangular area at extreme left, where it is part of the decoration on the
coach door. The entire word is visible on the hardcover
dust jacket, which features more of the
illustration. == See also ==