Cobain Unseen

More haunting death album than biography, this book presents the life of the troubled Nirvana front man through a series of never-before-seen candid snapshots, scribbled lyrics and photographs of treasured mementos. Beginning with Cobain's early life in Aberdeen, Wash., Cross includes reproductions of items more intimate than mere family photos: a Thanksgiving card 13-year-old Kurt drew, an array of favorite T-shirts and even a card enabling Cobain to receive food stamps. Cross—who profiled the musician in his authorized biography, Higher Than Heaven —has a fan's adoration of memorabilia both well-known (an early, handwritten draft of “Smells Like Teen Spirit”) and obscure (Cobain's collection of heart-shaped boxes, which both inspired a song of the same name and was a passion shared with his wife, Courtney Love). Several of the reproductions are designed as replicas of the original items (such as early Nirvana stickers and a mask designed by Cobain), and the tactile quality of the book, in addition to the biographical text, make it imperative for fans to do just as Cobain instructs in one of his diary entries: “look through my things and figure me out.” (Nov.)